1. Posting Your Location on Purpose
Telling strangers where you are in real time used to be a safety warning. In 1995, nobody would’ve bragged about checking into a restaurant or geotagging their vacation. But now, social sharing often includes your location as a feature. It’s part of how people connect and build their personal brand.
Instagram stories, Snapchat maps, and check-ins are baked into the culture. Some folks even plan photo ops around “taggable” destinations. This visibility helps influencers and businesses alike—but also raises privacy questions. Still, for most users, sharing location is just how social media works.
2. Filming Everything—Especially Ourselves
Pulling out a giant camcorder to record your day in 1995 would’ve made you look a little… intense. Now, recording life is practically expected. From TikToks to livestreams to phone camera rolls packed with hundreds of videos, documenting daily life is second nature. Influencers have made this not just acceptable but aspirational.
Smartphones with high-quality video capabilities didn’t hit the market until the late 2000s. Social media apps turned casual filming into a cultural norm, and now it’s weird not to share your vacation or meal. In 1995, only professionals or hobbyists made videos—and they definitely weren’t doing it with a device in their pocket. Today, even babies are filmed daily for future “content.”
3. Working from Home in Pajamas
In 1995, working remotely meant you were either self-employed or a tech unicorn. Today, thanks to broadband internet, Zoom, and Slack, working from home—even in sweatpants—is an accepted part of corporate life. Millions of Americans now expect hybrid work as the default. The pandemic accelerated it, but the tools were already in place.
In the ’90s, most work was tied to a physical location, especially for knowledge workers. Now, entire teams collaborate across time zones without setting foot in an office. This shift has changed everything from where people live to how they structure their day. And let’s be honest: comfy clothes are one of the best perks.
4. Ordering Groceries Without Leaving the Couch
Grocery delivery existed in 1995, but it was rare, clunky, and mostly used by the elderly or homebound. Today, apps like Instacart, Amazon Fresh, and Walmart+ make getting your groceries delivered feel as normal as ordering a pizza. Some people haven’t been in a grocery store in months—and they like it that way. Even small towns now have access to online food shopping.
The rise of mobile apps and gig workers has made the process fast and scalable. In the past, you had to fax or call in an order if you wanted home delivery. Now, a few taps on your phone and groceries appear on your porch. It’s efficient, and for many, a permanent lifestyle shift.
5. Treating Pets Like Children
In 1995, your dog probably slept in the garage or the backyard. Now? Pets wear Halloween costumes, eat organic diets, and have Instagram accounts. Millennials especially are waiting longer to have kids and pouring that affection into their pets.
Pet insurance, daycare, and luxury boarding have become booming industries. The idea of “fur babies” didn’t exist in mainstream culture thirty years ago. Now, it’s a normal part of how people talk and plan their lives. Pet parenting is big business and a deeply emotional investment.
6. Paying Without Cash—Or a Wallet
If you’d tried to wave your watch at a cashier in 1995, they’d have called security. Today, contactless payments through phones, watches, or even rings are completely ordinary. Digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Venmo are mainstream. Many young people rarely carry actual cash.
Back in the day, using a credit card was still a somewhat formal process. Now, people split dinner bills with apps and even tip service workers digitally. This shift has redefined how we think about money—fast, paperless, and frictionless. It’s not uncommon for a store to go “cashless” entirely.
7. Talking to Smart Speakers Like They’re People
Back in 1995, talking to a machine and expecting it to respond would’ve sounded like a scene from Star Trek. Now, asking Alexa to dim the lights or play your favorite playlist is just part of the daily routine. These devices use natural language processing to understand and respond to our questions—no keyboard required. It’s become so normal that kids today think talking to tech is how everything should work.
The tech didn’t exist in 1995, at least not in the home. Voice recognition was clunky, expensive, and mostly experimental. Today, smart speakers are in over 60 million U.S. homes, and voice assistants are built into nearly every smartphone. We’ve trained ourselves to speak clearly and politely to them—even though we know they’re not human.
8. Binge-Watching Entire Seasons in One Sitting
In 1995, you watched one episode a week—maybe two if it was rerun season. Now, we expect to get an entire season all at once, and many will finish it in a weekend. Streaming services like Netflix pioneered the model, and now it’s the norm across platforms. Binge-watching has totally reshaped how we consume stories.
This wasn’t technologically possible before. VHS tapes had limited space, and DVRs weren’t widely adopted yet. Now, high-speed internet and on-demand platforms let us control the pace completely. Watching ten hours of a show in one sitting is no longer a big deal—it’s expected.
9. Using Mental Health Apps Without Shame
Mental health was stigmatized in 1995, and therapy was often kept private. Today, not only is therapy openly discussed, but people regularly use mental health apps for meditation, journaling, or mood tracking. Apps like Headspace, Calm, and BetterHelp are widely accepted tools. Mental health is part of the wellness conversation now.
The cultural shift is massive—especially among Gen Z and Millennials. Seeking help is seen as strong, not weak. The tech makes access easier and more affordable, especially for those without local resources. Public awareness campaigns and social media have helped normalize these tools.
10. Having Groceries, Booze, and Dinner Show Up in the Same Hour
In 1995, you had to make three separate trips for those three things. Now, thanks to delivery apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Drizly, you can get all of it dropped at your doorstep in under an hour. It’s convenience culture at its peak. And it’s not just in big cities anymore.
The infrastructure that makes this possible—real-time GPS, app interfaces, gig workers—didn’t exist back then. People are now used to the idea that almost anything can be delivered. Restaurants even partner with delivery services as part of their business model. It’s changed how we think about errands entirely.
11. Taking Online Dating as the Default
In 1995, online dating was niche and kinda embarrassing—think chat rooms and shady forums. Now, meeting on an app is so normal that people barely ask “how did you meet?” anymore. Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, and others have completely rewritten the dating script. Swiping is the new flirting.
The shift started with Match.com in the late ’90s but exploded in the 2010s. Mobile-first platforms made dating more accessible and faster. There’s still stigma in some places, but for younger generations, app-based dating is the standard. Even relationships that lead to marriage often start with a swipe.
12. Streaming Music Instead of Owning It
In 1995, your music lived on CDs—or maybe cassettes if you hadn’t upgraded yet. Now, most people don’t own music at all. They stream it through services like Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube, paying for access rather than possession. It’s a completely different way of thinking about media.
The shift means unlimited variety, algorithmic recommendations, and global reach. Physical albums are now niche collectibles. Playlists have replaced mixtapes, and radio DJs compete with user-generated content. It’s music as a utility, not a product.
13. Getting News from Social Media
You used to watch the 6 o’clock news or read the morning paper. Today, millions of Americans get their headlines from Twitter, Reddit, or TikTok. Social media is where news breaks, trends rise, and public opinion forms—often faster than traditional outlets can respond. It’s messy, but incredibly powerful.
This shift started with blogs and exploded with the rise of smartphones. Algorithms now shape what we know about the world. Traditional media still exists, but it often follows where the social buzz goes. News is now a constantly updating feed—and that’s just how people like it.
This post 13 New American Habits That Are Completely Normal Now—and Would’ve Been Unthinkable in 1995 was first published on American Charm.
