Growing up, there were probably lots of things you did that you didn't want your parents to know about. But wasn't there something awesome about the things you did when your parents weren't home in the 2000s? You know how, collectively speaking, we all ran to our computers with a Caprisun and some Lunchables to download a million albums and update our Myspace pages? Yeah, those things. The sort of things that made all of our parents freak out about the possibility of downloading viruses, while all we were worried was about customizing our early online presence. You know, the important things.
The 2000s had a lot of interesting fodder for our memories: Everything was covered in rhinestones, we put glitter on every inch of our visible skin, and people were still transitioning from CD players to MP3 players. For those of us who grew up during the 2000s, we got a ton of cool experiences while learning new technology and watching the world change around us. It's really neat to have all of those changes occurring during your formative years — and it's cool, too, to look back on the smaller moments that made up our adolescence and see what we remember from years past. So, in the interest of nostalgia, here are some things you probably did when your parents left you home alone in the 2000s:
1. Put On Your Favorite Outfit And Model In Front Of Your Mirror
You know, those outfits you sneakily bought at the mall that your parents would kill you if you tried to wear to school? Yeah, those were the first things people tried on when their folks left the house for the afternoon. Sure, no one was going to see you, but it definitely felt glamorous to walk around the house in your denim miniskirt and wedges, right?
2. Watch VH1 Music Video Marathons In Your Living Room
What was more exciting than catching up with the last week's top videos while lounging on your couch? Your parents being home only made it better because you didn't need to pretend to stare at your lap during all the awkwardly risque moments.
3. Pace Around Your House On The Cordless Phone
There was nothing more satisfying than walking around your empty house and chatting loudly on the cordless phone with all of your friends on a three-way call. I remember doing this when I was 13 and thinking this was exactly what adulthood felt like.
4. Spend Too Much Time On Myspace
In the time before Facebook, Myspace was the biggest deal when it came to social media. Myspace actually allowed you to customize a good bit more of your page than Facebook does; you could add songs, change the colors, change your font, etc. You could also choose your "Top Friends," which was great for about 20 minutes — before a ton of drama inevitably erupted because someone got bumped from third to fourth place on your list. Yikes.
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5. Obsessively Chat With Your Friends On AIM
If you were home alone and your family had a computer, there was nothing you flew to faster than that comfy computer chair. Chatting with your friends online let you talk to everybody at once which let you catch up on all the latest gossip faster. Plus, you could customize your AIM profile while you chatted.
6. Download Ringtones For Your Flip Phone
Ah, yes. That special moment when you finally got your first flip phone (probably a Razr) for your birthday. Your parents paid for every phone call, text message, and definitely every ringtone you downloaded... so of course you downloaded them when your parents weren't home.
7. Accidentally Drop Your Glitter Bronzer Everywhere
If any makeup defined the 2000s, it was glitter. Seriously, there was glitter in eyeshadow, lipgloss, blush, bronzer; I wouldn't be surprised if someone, at some point, even wore a glitter mascara. While people definitely still like a little shimmer nowadays, glitter isn't as popular. And let's be real: Straight-up glitter in makeup was something you definitely practiced with when your parents weren't home because that stuff got absolutely everywhere.
8. Eating Nothing But Snack Food
Growing up during the 2000s meant you got to access some pretty awesome snack food. Seriously: Between Dunkaroos, Fruit Roll-Ups, Lunchables, and Fruit Gushers, I'm surprised I didn't give myself a giant sugar rush and pass out on my couch with a Pop-Tart wrapper in my fists.
9. Watch YouTube Videos For Literally Hours On End
YouTube became popular in the mid-2000s, and from there, it absolutely took over the Internet. Nothing became cooler than watching YouTube videos none of your friends had found yet and sending them around via AIM. This was also the time when people began posting tutorials for makeup and hair styles, as well as hilarious pranks and jokes. YouTube definitely could take up an entire afternoon, which is both awesome and a little depressing.
10. Download Music To Make The Perfect Playlists
If your family was anything like mine, the one thing we weren't allowed to do was download anything. My parents had massive amounts of anxiety about getting a virus on the computer and having all of our "information" stolen... but of course I still downloaded music the second I got the computer to myself. How else would I make the perfect playlists?
11. Taking Countless Selfies With Your Webcam
In the time before everyone had a camera on their phone, people took pictures of themselves with their webcams. The grainy quality was frustrating at the time, but I have to admit, it was a whole lot less stressful trying to get the perfect angle and filter for each shot then than it is now,
12. Watching Every Episode Of Friends, Even Though You Missed The Beginning
Growing up in the 2000s probably means you missed Friends when it first aired, but I know that didn't stop you from watching reruns. After all, what was more exciting than the Ross and Rachel will-they-won't-they relationship? Who didn't want to learn the guitar to be just like Pheobe? Who didn't want to eat pizza every time Joey did?
