As you can tell from the recent ’90s nostalgia boom, the final decade before the millennium was quite a time to be alive. Part of what made the ’90s so special is that it was an era right on the brink of the digital age — and as Millennials, our childhoods were the first to include both the landmarks of the classic American childhood (climbing trees, actually hanging out with our friends in person) alongside the first creeping elements of our modern digital culture (Digi Pets, AOL).

And nowhere is this divide clearer than in ’90s sitcoms. Sitcoms of the ’90s are caught between two worlds — between the traditional ways of life usually depicted in sitcoms, and the ways technology was changing our lives. This all explains why we thought Zack Morris’ cell phone was so cool, despite the fact that it was the size of a cinder block.

This is also why ’90s sitcoms loved to include topical references — like how the Beach Boys guest starred on Full House more often than I can keep track of. They wanted to remind you that they were happening in the now, and were not part of the weird, dark past where people diddn’t even have Skip-Its or gel pens.

This is also why ’90s sitcoms had their very own set of tropes that seemed to show up in every single show. These hopelessly cheesy tropes were the decade’s attempt to put their own spin on the sitcom, to show that their TV shows were cooler than the TV shows of the past. They may not quite have worked…but we loved them anyway.

Wondering what they are? Here are the nine most defining characteristics of any ’90s sitcom.

http://www.bustle.com/articles/60760-9-characteristics-all-90s-sitcoms-shared-from-annoying-neighbors-to-that-one-serious-episode

anything else you want to add to this list?