Neopets - An experience of online culture with a complex economy, a welcoming community (although not free of its drama), and an inclusive creative outlet under the guise of a virtual pet game. It's a big passion of mine, and I find that while many people have heard of it, a lot of people don't know how complex it is. I collect Neopets merchandise and actively engage with the community daily. A lot of my creative endeavors are inspired by this website.
NeoCities - A web-hosting service, a revival of GeoCities. GeoCities was a core center of personal expression on the early internet, welcoming people of all walks of life to create their own website, with what ever they want on it, as long as they were willing to put in the time and effort to learn some HTML and CSS. "Web-surfing" was much more of a thing back then, without the concepts of likes, followers, and algorithms. NeoCities was created to be a portal to a more unintentional internet, for people that enjoy engaging intentionally. (This one is my favorite so far.)
Pinball Machines - A forever classic and staple game in any arcade with a very strong, passionate community. New machines come out routinely from different manufacturers, keeping it fresh. Has a history of being thought of as purely a luck-based game, causing bans across America for gambling, but has since proved itself otherwise. I don't think I'm very good, you'll probably find me hiding in the back, watching tournaments, but I find it to be very soothing. Not much in life feels as good as saving your ball after panic-juggling it with the flippers for a good 30 seconds.
Beanie Babies - Huuuuge cultural icon of the 90s. Little stuffed animals, all with names, a birthdate, and a little poem to go along with them. Ty.com was one of the first online retailers to exist, paving the way for the Beanie Baby Bubble, where people went off-the-rails buying them up for hopes of a future profit. People went into major debt, went to prison for murder, and the bubble burst, leaving many with not much to say for a ROI.. but were left with some cute toys! I collect Beanie Babies, I love searching for them while thrifting and find them very pleasant to have around my personal space.
Goldfish - An iconic and common pet in American households. They come in many subspecies and morphs, and are cousins of the Koi fish! They can live up to 30 years, and require a lot more care than commonly believed. They are beautiful animals that are unfortunately often mistreated due to so much misinformation being put out there regarding their care. I think everyone has seen portrayals of goldfish living alone in a little glass bowl. This is a quick way to end up with a dead goldfish after a few months! They also are symbols of life and luck in some cultures.
Betta Fish - Or Siamese Fighting Fish. Betta fish are in a similar boat of goldfish, very common house pets but are often in aquariums that aren't suitable for a happy, healthy life. They can last much longer than goldfish in these suboptimal conditions, due to being pretty hardy. They are aggressive fish, often battling to the death for territory, and need to be separated. There are some exceptions to this, one example is creating a sorority tank: a large fish tank of only female bettas. I've had many betta fish over the years, each unique, all beautiful and intelligent. They can even learn tricks!
Hamster Care - Hamsters are another commonly owned pet that has misconceptions on proper care -- even though creating a hamster habitat for thriving is one of the most creative and fun you can get with a pet home. They need deep bedding for making burrows underground, lots of toys, and hiding places to rest. They can be litter trained to go to the restroom in the same spot, for easy cleanings. With the amount of gentle care and patience a hamster needs, I don't recommend them for unsupervised children, where I feel that they're often placed into the care of. Many people have stories of hamster bites as a kid, when it just comes down to the animal may have needed more time to feel safe and comfortable. I believe a lot more people would enjoy them as pets as adults.
Cozy Video Games - Video games that have goals with very low stakes, if any goals at all. Often designed to be made to enjoy a slice of life, such as decorating, farming, fishing, cooking, organizing, etc. There's been a surge of these games coming out over the past decade or so, and it's nice that there's video games for everyone. Bad things don't happen here, just enjoy the atmosphere! Even though I love a variety of games, coming back to a chill game about something such as taking care of fish in an aquarium does something to keep me grounded in the small things. The small things aren't so small when you take time to appreciate them!
Tattoos - Permanent art put on the skin with needles dipped in ink. Tattoos can range from a beautiful, forever investment in the name of loving your body, to an embarrassing drunken decision that you can have a good story about. For some people, tattoos need to have meaning, for others, it's a just cool piece of art they wanted to keep forever. They can be culturally significant or show that you affiliate with a specific group of people. I have a full sleeve and a few other tattoos here and there. Each of them have a story behind it, memories of the people I was with at the time, what prompted me to get it done, and a passionate artist that did the work. I enjoy the process of working with artists.
Water Bottle Fashion - Hydro Flasks, Stanleys, Owala. Over the past decade water bottles have become not just useful for keeping us hydrated, but also as a fashion statement and a form of self-expression. Stickers decorate colorful bottles to give others an idea of who you are and where your interests lie. They have also become a central talking point in over-consumption, with examples all over the internet of people running bursting through retail doors hoping to get that store-exclusive color. Influencers will have walls of collected water bottles while advertising their accessories to add even more personalization to your own bottles. I have my own water bottle that I will, like many others, deem as my 'emotional support water bottle', and take it anywhere I go. Without it I feel lost. And dehydrated.