The ‘90s had big ideas about what was coming next and they didn’t hold back. The future wasn’t just a distant dream, it was a promise. Sleek. Shiny. Just around the corner.
People weren’t just wondering what was ahead, they were predicting it. Boldly. Loudly. Sometimes with terrifying confidence. And now, years later, we finally get to see how that all turned out.
This slideshow dives into the wild, ambitious, and occasionally unhinged visions of what the future was supposed to look like. Not what happened, what people thought would happen. You’ll see imagination at full throttle. The kind of forward-thinking that was exciting, weird, and completely convinced it had everything figured out.
Was it genius? Was it madness? That’s up to you. Scroll on and see the future, exactly the way the ‘90s imagined it. And yes, it’s a ride.
1
We Fully Thought We’d Talk to Dogs
“I use to think that would have tech to communicate with animals and also tap into dreams and even record them.”
2
Y2K Was Our Zombie Apocalypse
“We all thought we were going to die because of Y2K.”
3
Mattel, You Owe Us Hoverboards
“Hoverboards that actually hovered and were made by Mattel.”
4
Where’s the Jetsons Car, Cowards?
“Insane overly futuristic concept cars being the norm production vehicles.”
5
Jetpacks Were Basically Confirmed
"Jet packs… I thought we would all have jet packs.”
6
We Scheduled WW3 for 2010
“I assumed we would have WW3 by 2010; with nuclear, biological, laser, space, and cyborg weapons being used.”
7
The Future Was... Just Nicer Graphics
“I imagined things were going to stay the same in terms of the main day to day. Things would get more refined (fancy video game graphics for example).”
8
Nike: WHERE Are the Power Laces?
“Nike sneakers with power laces.”
9
Where Are the Flying Cars?
“I thought we would have hoverboards and flying cars.”
10
Y2K: The Glitch That Could End It All
“There was some talk about computers not rolling over and making issues in business society.”
11
The Dream Apartment That Ghosted Us
“I thought I was going to get a good office job and live in a cool apartment by myself. I thought I'd have a social life and go out lots.”
12
America Was Gonna Move Underground
“Definitely thought on the 90s that come 2025 Americans would be living underground due to pollution.”
13
Hot Robots Were a Serious Expectation
“Hot robot chicks.”
14
Music Was Supposed to Freeze in 1999
“I mostly just thought video game graphics would be near real life and music would be mostly like Eminem, boy bands and kid rock.”
15
"Knowledge at Your Fingertips!" Yeah, Right
“In the 90s, we used to think that access to the world’s knowledge at our fingertips and worldwide connections through the internet would make people more knowledgeable and bring people closer together.”
16
The Future Was Perfect… According to Star Trek
“The End of History era saw hope for lasting peace, rising freedom, fading racism, and tech progress. Star Trek TNG symbolized optimism that a perfect, prosperous world was near.”
17
BRB, Teleporting (Not)
“As a kid, I thought we would have teleportation.”
18
Yes, I Thought I’d Have Brain Implants
“I thought we would have neural nanonics.”
19
We Declared World Peace and Logged Off
“I was expecting more peace in the world and less military expenditure after we ‘won the Cold War’.”
20
We Were Moon Base Confident
“Orbital shipyards and bases on the moon.”
21
"Be Smart and You’ll Be Rich!" She Lied
“My first grade teacher (was in 1st grade in 1995-1996) told us that we'd all have jobs working with computers and that if we were smart, financial success would come easily to us.”
22
We Thought Humans Would Be... Better
“I expected there to be no racism, a cure for all diseases, and people would have evolved to be totally understanding, loving, and great at relationships.”
23
The Internet Was Supposed to Save Us
“We really thought the Internet would completely democratize information. ‘Information yearns to be free’ and all that.”
24
Climate Change Was Just a Cool Plot Twist
“Those that had read about climate change could see the writing on the wall, but it still seemed like science fiction.”
25
That One Nerd Who Knew Everything
“I remember this guest speaker coming into our computer class talking about how computers were going to take over jobs.”
26
"You’ll Be Richer Than Your Parents!" LOL
“You would make more than your parents, be able to afford a home, college would ensure a good job with good earnings.”
27
The Dream Was: Work Hard, Chill Harder
“No more war, no more racism, everyone who worked full time made a living wage, a family could be supported by one working spouse.”
28
Still Waiting on the Laser Guns, Guys
“We were promised jetpacks and laser guns.”
29
Hope Was a UK Export
“Late 90s UK felt truly optimistic: progress in equality, tech, and culture. Music and films were genuine, and the internet was a fun nerd thing.”
30
Sophomore Year: Big Dreams
“In sophomore year (’95-’96), we predicted no newspapers and debated aging genes.”
