2010 vs. Now: 10 Comparisons Of How Things Have Changed More Than That Guy Who Promised He Would
Think back to 2010. One Direction had just gotten together. Axe Chocolate body spray was still selling by the masses. Wayfarer Rayban glasses were rapidly becoming the style as the hipster movement started to break into mainstream culture. It was a much different time, culturally, technologically, and societally.
As the decade comes to a close, let's reflect on how everyday things have changed since it began. Buckle in for a wave of nostalgia.
Then: Blackberry Dominated The Smartphone Market
Blackberry was all the rage in the 2000s and owned the smartphone arena. While other Apple and Android options were available, Blackberry's full-keyboard was winning the game.
If I'm being honest, I kind of miss BBM.
Now: Apple's iPhone Is Undoubtedly #1
While Apple and Android options are the main phones available (peep Motorola Razr with the comeback though), iPhones have taken over as the popular choice.
It's come to the point that there's a meme about "green texts" being from peasants.
2010: Wearing The Brand Name Everywhere Was The Wave
Clothing companies like Aeropostale, Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Roxy were all selling everyday clothing items like sweaters and t-shirts emblazoned with their brand names, and we were loving it!
I fondly remember begging my mom to take me to Aero for a new t-shirt.
Now: Online Fashion Brands And Minimalist Branding
Unless it's a luxury brand, no one wants the brand name visible.
Online clothing retailers like MissGuided, Good American, and Fashion Nova are riding the influencer marketing wave and making good profit from it.
2010: The age of iTunes, The Physical Copy, And Illegal Downloads
From 2000-2010, the music industry went through a dramatic loss in sales.
While some listeners were still buying music on iTunes or in physical stores that sold CDs, many of us gave our computers viruses just to get a bootleg copy of Katy Perry's "California Girls".
Now: Streaming Services Own The Market
"Are you on Apple Music or Spotify?" Rather than buying individual songs and albums, subscription streaming services are now the main way the people access the music they're interested in.
Streaming has even caused a lot of artists to shorten songs to improve profit on listens.
2010: Uggs Are The Most Popular Shoes
Remember the Uggs craze? I cried because my mom wouldn't buy me the pair of $200 boots, but instead got me Costco knock-offs.
All of us were out there suffering with zero arch support and soaking wet feet.
Now: The Fila Disruptor Is The Shoe Of The Year
While sneakers have been becoming a more popular shoe choice in mainstream fashion, the trend hit its peak with the widespread popularity of the Fila Disruptor.
These shoes were all over Instagram and VSCO—I started seeing them everywhere while walking around town.
2010: Instagram Is Born
Instagram was first launched on Oct. 6, 2010, by creators Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger.
The app was originally intended to be used by artists and photographers to share their work with similar-minded creators.
Now: Instagram As An App Has Powerful Social Influence
Instagram has gone through many changes, from timeline algorithm, the aesthetic, stories, the addition of videos, and the removal of likes. Instagram is one of the most influential apps, with popular users making millions of dollars for social posts.
Remember when people bought Fyre Festival tickets because of Instagram ads?
2010: Intense Black Eyeliner As A Major Trend
Intense eyeliner with a smokey eye was a huge look in 2010, with "emo" styles like intensely side-parted bangs were largely worn.
Wearing a lot of heavy, dark makeup was the fashion statement.
Now: "Natural" Beauty Trends
There's been a movement toward better skin care routines and more natural-looking makeup. Makeup brands like Glossier have gained popularity for their minimalistic products that focus on looking "natural".
I didn't actually wake up looking like this, but no one has to know that.
Then: Ke$ha's Tik Tok Was The #1 Billboard Hot Song Of The Year
Ke$ha broke into the music industry in 2009 with this single, but it rose to its true popularity in 2010.
This autotune-heavy party song followed by Ke$ha's other "weird" music videos sparked a bunch of female artists to have songs fixating on being a hot mess.
Now: Old Town Road Become The Longest Running #1 Song On Billboard Hot 100
After the Lil Nas X's original version of "Old Town Road" was controversially removed from the Billboard Hot Country charts, he teamed up with Billy Ray Cyrus to record a remix that would keep the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 19 consecutive weeks.
Coincidentally, the song first gained popularity on Tik Tok, the app.
2010: Facebook Is The Most Popular Social Media Platform For Young People
Facebook may still be the most used social media platform on a global level, but in 2010 it was the dominant social media site for teens and young adults. It was so infamous that The Social Network, a film about Facebook's beginning, was released in October 2010.
Remember the times when you used to "poke" your crush to flirt?
Now: The Social Media Sphere Is More Photo-Based And Diverse
While over 50% of teens turned to Facebook as their dominant social media source in 2010, only 6% do now.
Instagram and Snapchat are currently the main platforms teens and young adults use. I guess we just love to look at photos.
2010: The iPhone Home Screen Used To Look Like This
If you didn't have the phone at the time, you probably still can recall a distant memory of this screen on an iPod Touch.
This is what the iPhone iOS 3, the current version of the phone operating system, looked like back then.
Now: We're On iOS 13 And We Have Dark Mode
I never knew how much I needed dark mode in my life until Twitter introduced it in 2016.
With the new iOS 13 with dark mode for everything, I'd like to remember other major changes: airdrop, the ability to send other people the Wifi password, and the iconic and controversial removal of the earphone hole.
2010: Tangible Goods Owned The Markets
Back in 2010, the companies with the greatest net worth were focused on physical goods: oil and gas, computer technology, banking, and retail, and while there wasn't a lot of it, there was diversity in which countries contained top businesses.
Things have certainly changed.
Now: Digital Has Taken Over
Companies like Apple, Amazon, and Google were barely on the map in 2010, but now the greatest money is made in data and technology companies that work in digital spaces online.
It's crazy to think that the way the world works has changed so rapidly over the past decade.
Then: Video Game Graphics Were Still Lacking
In the last ten years, video game graphics have come a long way. In the early 2010s, there was a trend of making video game graphics gritty, making things look a little chaotic. Characters still seemed to have unanimated or sharp edges.
The graphics then were impressive, but they are mind-blowing now.
Now: Video Game Animation Is Incredible
Now, video games have grown into blockbuster-like productions. With every new generation of consoles, the games become more and more impressive.
Video game companies have started using photogrammetry, which is when real-world objects are scanned into the game. This, along with motion capture technology, has made video games closer to movies than their predecessor.
Then: Barbie Dolls Were Blond And Beautiful
When we think of Barbie, most of us have an image in our minds of that wholesome blond girl.
She's had a lot of flack for not being realistic in her proportions and not being very inclusive.
Now: Barbie Is Way More Inclusive
Starting in 2020, Mattel made it their business to create more inclusive dolls so that every kid could feel comfortable playing with them.
They're more accurately proportioned, and they come in a lot of different styles and from different backgrounds.
Then: Dating
2010 was one of the last years where people dated more organically than they do now.
It used to be about meeting people "out in the wild." Meeting someone online was totally unheard of it and kind of taboo.
Now: Online Dating Is The Way
Since its launch in 2012, tinder has taken over the online dating market. It was followed closely by Bumble (2014) and Hinge (2013).
Now it seems that meeting on these apps is the way to date. It's rare to meet someone who hasn't been on a date with a match from one of these apps.
Then: Map Quest Print Outs
Who else remembers going on a road trip and having to sit down at your home computer to look up the directions?
If you were fortunate, you'd have a nice color printer that you'd be able to print out a copy of the directions.
Now: Google Maps All The Way
Google Maps and its turn-by-turn navigation is now the only way that most of us get around.
It's hard to think that there was a time when we used anything other than our phones. People used to carry around actual maps!
Then: Netflix Disks
While Netflix was starting to gain traction in the late 2000s, it was still the norm to rent the disks and have them mailed to you.
Eventually, you were given a streaming disk that you could use to access their content.
Now: Netflix Is The Streaming Standard
Netflix has become the world's largest entertainment company. It's available on all of our devices so that we can access their content whenever and wherever.
They've also become a force to be reckoned with in creating content with Netflix Originals like Stranger Things and House of Cards.
