In the phrase “it’s the 90s” the connotation was optimistic, things are improving, et cetera. In “it’s the 21st century” or “it’s 202x” the idea is normally about how tech has or should have improved, in my experience. Like, the 90s phrase could be used for just about anything, “it’s the 90s, Jimmy, everyone’s cool with the gays!” Or whatever else. It was optimism and hope and a belief that things were improving. Now it’s just “it’s 2025, why the fuck doesn’t my debit card work?” Or “in the year of our Lord 2021, why does no one believe the scientists?”
In the phrase “it’s the 90s” the connotation was optimistic, things are improving, et cetera. In “it’s the 21st century” or “it’s 202x” the idea is normally about how tech has or should have improved, in my experience. Like, the 90s phrase could be used for just about anything, “it’s the 90s, Jimmy, everyone’s cool with the gays!” Or whatever else. It was optimism and hope and a belief that things were improving. Now it’s just “it’s 2025, why the fuck doesn’t my debit card work?” Or “in the year of our Lord 2021, why does no one believe the scientists?”