LIFE

It’s no surprise when we say that a lot has changed over the past 20 years. From technology to fashion, we have evolved and improved over the years. It’s easy to not think of what it must have been like 20 years ago, so here is our list of 20 things that we take for granted that weren’t around 20 years ago.

iPhones
Can you imagine life before apps? Us either.

Spotify
We will be the first to admit Spotify has changed out lives for the better. You can get the perfect playlist forany situation at the click of a button.

Gel manicures
Say bye-bye to your weekly trip to the salon, gel nails last you so much longer.

Water proof hair straighteners
How much do we love hopping out of the shower and having instant straightness. Perfect for a busy girl with a long to-do list.

Laptops

When our parents grew up, they had huge bulk box-shaped things that plugged into a wall. And there was no streaming TV. Awful.

One Direction
Need we say more?

5 gum
OK, fine, there was DoubleMint and stuff like that but only 5 gives us the perfect minty freshness we need right before a big date.

Emojis
Gasp! There once was a time where you had to have a conversation with only words.

Instagram  
Before Instagram, you had to explain what your dinner looked like over the phone instead of snapping a pic. Bonus point added for excellent filter choice.

Netflix
Netflix has only made being lazy all day even easier. With hundreds of movie and TV options at the tip of your hand, it makes it difficult to have a productive day.

Chipotle
It’s no secret that Chipotle is our fave guilty pleasure and we don’t like to think back to the time where it wasn’t available for us to eat. It’s the perf food stop for a night out with the girls.

Twitter
Having to express your thoughts in 140 characters or less has been both a blessing and a curse, but mostly a super fun way to stay connected to your fave celebs.

Online shopping
Now we can shop at our fave store while wearing our PJ’s in the comfort of our home. What more can a girl want?

Pretty Little Liars
They just celebrated their 100th episode and are planned for at least 2 years. It’s a PLL takeover and we are totally okay with it.

EOS lip balm
When EOS was first introduced, everyone went gaga over them. They made putting on lip balm so much cuter. All the fun flavors are major plus.

Statement necklaces
Having these around have made making an outfit go from drab to fab so much easier. With all the unique colors and styles, it makes it super easy to express yourself in the cutest way possible.

Skype
Forget the days spent writing a letter that would take a week to get to the right person. With Skype, we get immediate connection and a camera so we can actually see who you’re talking to. It’s perf for those last minute study questions with that cutie from Biology.

Self tanner
Pastiness begone! It used to take a whole summer (and a whole lotta skin damage aka cancer) to get a golden glow. Now you just need a bottle of lotion from the drugstore and a couple hours to look like you spent all summer lifeguarding at the beach instead of babysitting the neighbor’s bratty kids.

Alex and Ani Bracelets
Recently, you can’t go anywhere without seeing dozens of girls sporting Alex and Ani bracelets on their wrist. This super cute accessory not only goes with any outfit but makes us feel good with its unique meaning like Loyalty, Love and Friendship.

Girls Life Magazine
We’ve been around for exactly 20 years and we feel as if it has gone by in a flash. We became the go to magazine for teens everywhere and have grown so much over the years. Thanks to readers like you, we have been able to be here for this long. Here’s to 20 more years!

by Caitlin Moynihan | 2/1/2016