If you were a kid in the early 2010’s, like myself, then you most likely were rocking stacks of silly bands on your wrist, and your weekends were booked and busy with watching the latest Disney Channel original movie. This was a simpler time as our biggest concern was trading for the rarest Silly Bands during recess and making sure we didn’t miss a new Disney channel movie when it premiered. These seemingly small obsessions played such a big part of our childhoods.
The Silly Bandz Phenomena
Silly Bands were more than just colorful rubber band bracelets; they were like its own form of currency to us. If you had a rare silly band, you were basically deemed royalty and everyone wanted to trade with you. Trading them became normalized, some were strategic with how they traded and some tried to hoard an entire collection like they were tiny treasures. They even got banned in schools because they became such a distraction — of course, that never stopped us from sneaking them in.
Beyond this, Silly Bands symbolized something much bigger: self expression. They had countless shapes, colors, and themes. These little bracelets allowed us to showcase who we were based off of our own personal interest without having to utter a single word. They were our generation’s new charm bracelets, only more affordable and stretchy.
Disney Channel Original Movies: The Blueprint for our childhood
While Silly Bands ruled our lives during the day; Disney channel Original movies (DCOMs) took over our nights. The anticipation leading up to a new movie every weekend was unmatched. Especially when those iconic jumping mickey mouse ears and the DCOM intro sequence popped up. From The Cheetah Girls and Camp Rock, to the iconic High School Musical series, these movies were not just top tier entertainment — they were honestly cultural movements.
DCOMs gave us our first dose of music and soundtracks that we were obsessed with (cue the “We’re All in This Together”). They also gave us some iconic fashion trends that we were dying to replicate (layered skirts and fingerless gloves, anyone?) But the movies also taught us valuable life lessons subconsciously. These movies discussed friendships, perseverance, and helped us embrace our personal uniqueness — all while also keeping us glued to the screen.
This era introduced us to stars who would help define our generation such as Zac Efron, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez and so many others. Back then every Friday night felt like a magical event, and even still today going back to rewatch a DCOM feels like a big, warm nostalgic hug.
Why It Still Matters
Even though silly bandz and DCOMs might seem like things of the past, they do represent a simpler time. These concepts were not just fads, but they were a core part of our earlier years that shape our interests and our sense of nostalgia that we have to this day.
Whether you still have a stash of Silly Bands in the back of your closet or you get excited to watch a DCOM here and there, know that you are not alone. These memories that seem small made our childhood feel magical. Honestly, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.