Do you ever look back at photos or think of trends from ten years ago and wonder why they were popular? Why were we wearing rubber bands as bracelets and putting feathers in our hair? 2010 was the year when everyone was figuring out how to transition from the early 2000s to the more modern trends. Things have changed significantly over the last decade, from fashion trends to technology. Let's take a walk down memory lane and remember things that were considered cool in 2010.
1. Toy Story 3
Ten years after the release of Toy Story 2, the third installment was released and it was an instant hit. Children had waited years for more adventures with Buzz and Woody. It was one of the most popular movies of the year.
Children who saw the first two movies had grown-up into young adults by the time of its release. Now, another ten years later, Disney and Pixar have released Toy Story 4 as the finale to this wonderful movie series.
2. Angry Birds
One of the most popular phone games of 2010 was Angry Birds. It was a simple phone game that became addicting. As smartphones became more popular, the game was available to more people, which helped its popularity.
The game became so popular that it grew into a franchise. From toys to two widely successful movies, people cannot get enough of those Angry Birds.
3. Hannah Montana
"You get the limo out front! Hottest styles, every shoe, every color!" Although Hannah Montana was released in 2007, it was still one of the most successful Disney shows in 2010.
It was impossible not to love the double life of Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana. People envied how cool Miley's life was on the show, even though it was far from realistic.
4. Poking Friends On Facebook
Remember when you would have poking wars with your friends on Facebook? Or when you would get excited that your crush poked you? It was such a pointless feature, but provided days of fun.
You could poke your friends as many times in a row as you wanted until they noticed. Today the feature still exists, but it is much harder to find the "poke" button.
5. Making CD Mixes
Remember when it was cool to have a thick binder full of CDs that you and your friends burned with all your favorite songs? They would all be decorated with marker designs to represent the vibe of the CD.
You had to pick the perfect combination of songs to add to your latest mix. It was also a great gift to give your friend if you didn't want to spend money.
6. Youtube
In 2010, Youtube started to become extremely popular. Although creators had been posting content for a few years, their videos started gaining more traction in 2010.
From PewdiePie to Shane Dawson, these were and still are the biggest names on the video platform. What creators do you follow on Youtube?
7. The iPod Nano
Remember listening to your favorite songs on your iPod Nano? You probably felt so cool with one of the brightly colored rectangles.
Also, unless you had a stash of iTunes gift cards, you were probably downloading songs off of LimeWire or Kazaa. Those were the days!
8. Over Auto-Tuned Songs
Long before 2010, songs were being auto-tuned, but during that year, this technique was trendy. Think of songs such as "Like a G6" or "How Low."
Pretty much any song by Ke$ha during 2010 was heavily auto-tuned, and you would go crazy for those jams.
9. The Sims
Remember when you would come home from school and go right to the computer to play The Sims? You knew all the cheat codes to get endless amounts of money so you could build the best mansion.
You would have fun finding different ways to kill your character because there was really no point to the game besides messing around and wasting time.
10. Crocs
Who could forget the most horrible shoes to be introduced to the market? These strange shoes became a huge fashion craze. You could add little charms and characters to customize them.
For some reason, these have been coming back into fashion recently, and we don't know why. Let's leave Crocs in the past, please.
11. Renting DVDs From Blockbuster
Before streaming services like Netflix became popular, people rented their movies from Blockbuster. It was a treat to go and stock up on movies for the weekend.
Although Netflix is much more convenient, Blockbuster brings back a sense of nostalgia. We miss Blockbuster.
12. Silly Bandz
Silly Bandz were the silicon bracelets that came in different shapes and colors. People would have stacks of them covering their arms. Kids would trade them, and you weren't cool unless you had the glitter ones.
There were so many to collect! Do you remember trying to bargain with people so you could get a rare one?
13. Full Eyebrows
In the early 2000s, eyebrows were over plucked and thinned out. At the turn of the decade, fuller eyebrows came back into style, and it was a blessing we were all waiting for.
The thicker and softer your brows were, the younger you looked. This is one of the few trends that we were glad to continue throughout the years.
14. Paying For Ringtones
Do you remember getting excited to download new ringtones? Sometimes you would get lucky and find codes for free ones!
You could even download logos to spice up your Nokia phone screen. All your favorite songs were available, and it felt cool to have a song rather than a preset ringtone.
15. Accessorising Your Flip Phone
It is fun to look back and remember the accessories that we would add to our flip phones. Before you were lucky enough to upgrade to a smartphone, you had to make the most of your old phone.
The best part of having the flip-phone was that you could dramatically close it when you were done talking to someone.
16. Flower Crowns
Flower crowns took the festival scene by storm in 2010. You couldn't see a Coachella or party picture without someone wearing a flower crown.
Some people still rock them, but now they are considered basic. Did you ever rock a flower crown?
17. "Billionaire" By Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars
"I wanna be a billionaire so f***in' bad, buy all of the things I never had!" Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars knew how to make a bop. It was played on repeat everywhere.
It is hard to believe that this song is ten years old already! It was a song that spoke to the masses, and it will forever be a great throwback jam.
18. Chokers
This '90s trend came back in 2010 in a big way. Everyone was rocking chokers and it added a cool factor to your style.
People were recycling their '90s chokers and adding something vintage to this returning trend.
19. #YOLO
As Drake said, "You only live once, that's the motto." YOLO was extremely popular in 2010, and you couldn't go anywhere without hearing someone say it.
There are people who still use the phrase YOLO today, but it is not as popular as it once was back in the day.
20. Flash Games
Who didn't spend hours playing flash games? Miniclip was the best website to waste time on and had endless options of games to play.
These games were easy to play and addicting. The best part was that they were free, and there was no limit to how long you could play.
21. Despicable Me
Those hilarious and cute yellow creatures were introduced to the world in 2010 when Despicable Me was released. People instantly fell in love with the minions.
The movie was hysterical, and it wouldn't have been the same without the minions. Ten years have passed since the movie was released and people are still dressing as minions for Halloween.
22. iPhone 4
In 2010, the iPhone 4 was released, and in the first few days, 1.7 million phones were sold. It was one of the coolest phones to have that year.
Everyone had to have this phone because it was revolutionary for its time. It also made taking selfies much easier because it was the first phone with a front-facing camera.
23. Xbox 360 Kinect
The Kinect for Xbox 360 was one of the most fun ways to play video games. You could play multiple games without a controller because the Kinect detected your motion and transferred it onto the screen.
The only problem was that you had to have the Xbox 360 to be able to use this, so it wasn't cost-effective for most people. The idea was cool, though.
24. Taking Your Digital Camera Everywhere
Remember when you would go to the mall and take mirror selfies with your digital camera? At the time it was the most convenient way to capture memories.
You couldn't leave the house without your digicam because you needed it just in case you and your friends had an impromptu photo shoot.
25. Spongebob
Spongebob has been around for years, but 2010 was the peak year for this animated show. There were movies, merchandise, and many other things branded with the shows loveable characters.
You couldn't go anywhere without seeing something that had Spongebob on it. Even today, you can easily find Spongebob merchandise in many stores.
26. iPad
Another Apple product that hit the market in 2010 was the iPad. It was the introduction of the tablet computer and revolutionized the portable hi-tech industry.
It started a decade of different portable devices that made life and work more convenient.
27. MySpace
2010 was the time when Facebook was on the rise and MySpace was falling. It was one of the last few years that MySpace existed, but people were still using it in 2010.
MySpace allowed people to share discussions, blogs, photos, and videos. It was Facebook before the idea of Facebook.
28. Nokia N8
Nokia has a reputation for making indestructible phones, and in 2010 they announced the Nokia N8 which was a touchscreen phone that was quite expensive.
It was trendy in 2010 and seemed like an excellent product for that year.
29. Family Guy
This animated sitcom with dark humor gained many fans in 2010. The series was created by Seth MacFarlane who used the show to joke about relevant topics in an interesting way.
It started in 1999 and has continued to be popular for two decades now. Although the humor is hard for some people to understand, it is still successful.
30. Monthly Subscriptions To Teen Magazines
These teen magazines were the best way to get all the latest celebrity gossip about your favorite teen superstars. They came with posters to decorate your room and kept you in the know about new fashion trends.
Even if you didn't have a subscription, you could sit in Borders books, reading the latest issues for free.
31. Habbo Hotel
Does anyone remember what Habbo Hotel was like in 2010? There were so many classic games like BattleBall, wobble squabble, and more.
You could talk to other people while playing the game and people would ask you "ASL." meaning age, sex or gender, and location. It was a different time back in 2010.
32. Samsung Galaxy S
Along with Apple, Samsung was pioneering the smartphone market in 2010. They released the Galaxy S, and everyone was excited about the new features and camera.
It was similar in shape and style to the iPhone, which caused people to start choosing sides between Android and iPhone.
33. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid
The movie adaptation of Diary of a Wimpy Kid was a hit in 2010. It was relatable to all middle schoolers who were going through their awkward phase.
The movie was hilarious and reminded people that middle school is an awkward time that everyone has to go through.
34. The Start Of Breaking Bad
Can you believe that Breaking Bad came out ten years ago? Everyone was talking about this series when it premiered and people couldn't get enough of it.
Everyone was eager to see what Walter White would do and people were impatient for new episodes.
35. Alvin And The Chipmunks
It was around this time when Alvin and the Chipmunks were popular, and every popular song was remade with a chipmunk twist.
People loved hearing their favorite hits in a chipmunk voice, but after a while, the trend died down because it got annoying. We can't deny that these three animated chipmunks are still adorable.
36. Scene Kids
Scene subculture became popular in 2010 while Tumblr was at its peak popularity. Scene teens had a specific style that included skinny jeans,pin-straight hair with lots of layers and bright extensions.
They loved electronic and punk music, and you could usually spot them easily in a crowd.
37. Farmville
"I need to get home to tend to my crops and animals in Farmville." This was something many people said in 2010 when Facebook's Farmville was a significant trend.
Do you remember spending time tending to your virtual crops and expanding your farm? Some people even paid real money to help their farm grow.
38. Rainbow Loom
Like Silly Bandz, the Loombands trend took off with young teens. These colorful rubberband creations were fun to make and looked cute at the time.
Teens would use these to create friendship bracelets and other types of jewelry in a few easy steps.
39. Crackle Nail Polish
Looking back, this trend doesn't really make sense. The crackle nail polish gave you the look of chipped nails, which is something people usually avoid.
It came in many different colors, and people went crazy over its unique effect. You were totally cool if your nails had a cracked effect.
40. Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Remember when the biggest issue we had was if we were team Edward or team Jacob? Twilight took the world by storm and sparked the vampire trend.
The books were on every summer reading list, and once the movies came out, the franchise was booming.
41. Planking
One of the weirdest trends in 2010 was planking. People would lie face down on in random places and take pictures to post on social media.
The planking challenge went viral, but like any internet challenge, people took it to an extreme. People would try to plank in extreme places, which got them into dangerous situations.
42. Putting Feather Extensions In Your Hair
Every teen girl of 2010 has to remember the feather extension trend. You could spice up your regular hairstyle with this unique trend that everyone was after.
There were so many combinations of colors and feathers, but now it seems like an odd thing to put in your hair.
43. Samsung Epic 4G
The sliding smartphone was different than all the other smartphones at the time. It not only had the touchscreen, but it also had a full keyboard.
It was the coolest gadget to have, and it was much easier to use for people who weren't used to touch screens yet.
44. Shutter Shades
We can all thank Kanye West for making this odd trend go viral. These glasses were so impractical, yet everyone was obsessed with the plastic frames that had bars across the lenses.
You could barely see through them, but everyone wanted a pair. They were also always given out at bat-mitzvahs and sweet 16's.
45. Yahoo! Messenger
Many people remember AIM, but do you remember Yahoo Messenger? It was just like the other instant messengers, but for Yahoo users.
You could create an avatar and set your away message with song lyrics to customize your profile.
46. The Kindle
Out with physical books and in with the Kindle. The handheld reading device was able to store hundreds of books in the palm of your hand.
Hardbound books were being replaced with this convenient device that made reading more comfortable; instead of having stacks of books, you can easily carry this e-reader with endless book options.
47. Chatroulette
Chatroulette was a weird website. You could video chat with strangers from all over the world, but it quickly turned into a creepy website.
Did you and your friends go on when you had sleepovers? It was funny until someone showed something inappropriate.
48. Wedge Sneakers
From J.Lo to Hilary Duff, all the celebrities could be spotted in wedge sneakers. They gave you some height and were so comfortable. These sneakers went with every outfit, and they were the go-to shoes.
Some people still rock this trend today even though it is less popular than it once was back in 2010.
49. Old Minecraft
Who got excited to go home and play Minecraft after school? You could build whatever you wanted and make your own rules.
Minecraft is still extremely popular today, but the game has significantly changed over the years. It is much more modern because of advances in game design.
50. The Nudge
Were you one of those people who nudged your friends to make sure they answered you? It was a way to get the attention of the person you were messaging that made the conversation shake on the screen.
Either your friends would answer, or they would get annoyed with how often you made their messages shake.