The millennial Y2K phone sock trend I’d welcome back with open arms
It was soft, stretchy, and kept my high score on Snake safe.
Every so often, the internet drags a memory from the deepest corners of my teenage brain. The ones I thought I’d safely buried with my MSN status updates.
This week’s culprit? Phone socks.
Those tiny knitted sleeves we proudly slipped our flip phones into, as if they needed a winter coat.
Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.
Once upon a time, our phones wore clothes too.
TikTok user @cowgirlprincess is behind this welcome nostalgia hit that sent me spiralling back to an easier time.
A time when I had to hit a key three times to text, and Snake was the only app my phone needed.
“Do you guys remember phone socks? Like, you’ll only know if you had a phone in the early 2000s,” she asks in her clip.
Back then, we didn’t use expensive phone cases from tech shops in the mall.
“We either rhinestoned our phone or put it in our phone sock,” the TikToker explains.
You might have even gone to the next level, like me, and added a charm on a piece of string to the top corner of it.
“I miss it, and someone needs to bring back phone socks,” the woman declares.
She’s right.
The amount of smashed iPhone screens those bad boys could’ve prevented is criminal.
They were more than just covers for our Nokias. They were tiny slices of identity.
Your phone sock said as much about you as your MySpace song or your MSN screen name.
And this is not just all about a Y2K revival. It’s a fun way to reflect on how fast technology has shifted, and how safe our phones used to be. Both physically and virtually.
RELATED: Shoppers push to bring back nostalgic item
A simpler time
No social media. No concerning content. Just pure, sock-led vibes.
Now, our phones are wrapped in military-grade cases and constant notifications.
Back then, they were wrapped in fuzzy stripes, and the only “ping” you got was a new text from your crush.
I asked the Kidspot team to cast their minds back to and see if they had any mock memories.
“I remember having one for my Nokia in year 7! I think it would be fun to bring back fun phone cases in general,” Cassidy said.
“Whatever happened to those big plastic ones shaped like penguins?”
Clara said she didn’t have one herself, but she remembers: “I saw them in stores.”
RELATED: Kmart shoppers run to stores for unexpected '90s buy
While many millennials shudder at the idea of bringing back buried trends, perhaps this is one we can welcome back with open arms.
If we can bring back low-rise jeans and jelly shoes, surely the humble phone sock deserves a second run.
More Coverage
Originally published as The millennial Y2K phone sock trend I’d welcome back with open arms
