19 things proving kids entering university this year are basically infants

Young men and women entering university in 2015 were by-and-large born in 1997, only three years before the turn of the century. If that doesn’t sound too long ago, it is because it’s not.

This year’s freshman weren’t alive when the Spice Girls shot to fame or when Friends premiered. They also have scant memories of huge world events like 9/11 and the death of Princess Diana, which most of us can remember like it was just a few years ago. Internet technology has always been a given, as have cell phones and compact discs.

Here are 19 things that students born in 1997 know to be true. Prepare to feel old.

1. They probably have no idea where the phrase “I see dead people” comes from, since The Sixth Sense came out when they were only two years old. 
   

   Hollywood Pictures

2. They never would have seen The Titanic in theatres, or on a VHS tape for that matter.
3. “To infinity and beyond!” likely meant nothing to them until Toy Story 2 came out in 1999. 
   

   Disney Pixar

4. Their moms still probably have not let them watch The Silence of the Lambs, released six years before their birth.
5. Harry Potter has always existed for these kids. 
   

   Bloomsbury

6. They probably never experienced the epic Thursday night comedy lineup on NBC with Friends at 8 p.m. and Seinfeld at 9 p.m. 
   

   NBC / Warner Bros.

7. In fact, Seinfeld went off the air before most of them were even one year old.
8. Their favourite childhood films are likely in the ranks of Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, Cars and other Pixar movies.
9. There is a pretty good chance they could not name a single song by Jewel.
10. The Backstreet Boys have pretty much always been irrelevant. 
    

    Jive Records

11. Beyonce has always been a huge recording artist and bombshell.
12. Most of them have always had instant access to the internet at home.
13. Their parents probably had Facebook accounts before they did.
14. They have no recollection of the death of Princess Diana because they were either still in the womb or sleeping 15 hours a day. They were also not one of the 1.5 billion people who watched her funeral. 
    

    Maxwell Hamilton via Flickr

15. Hong Kong has never been under UK rule.
16. They probably do not remember where they were or what they were doing on September 11, 2001 because they were only four. 
    

    Mark Yokoyama via Flickr

17. Images of Mars have always been available.
18. They’ve always been clicking this button to save their work but they likely have no idea what it means.  
19. Stephen Harper has been Prime Minister of Canada for over half their lifetime. 
    

    Stephen Harper via Flickr