Tamagotchis have gone from small, plastic egg-shaped keychains to apps on Androids. Cory and Topanga Matthews will once again grace our televisions, and Slinkies giggle down stairs in a Geico commercial. Toys, games and fashion trends from the ’90s have seen revivals, reboots and upgrades in a nostalgia-fueled renaissance that has captivated Generation Y.

But are we really so special for feeling a sense of joy at the rebirth of our childhood loves? Are we actually champions of the ’90s because we restored “All That” to cable television? Hasn’t Nick at Nite been cycling through decade-old shows since 1985?

As our generation of young adults occupies colleges across the nation, we 
continue to identify ourselves with our formative years, throwing ’90s-themed keggers or forking over $5 to listen to bad covers of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” at The Spanish Moon. But for an equally crumpled $5, our predecessors can totally jam out to their own blasts from the past at ’80s Night.

These excursions — though satisfying — are usually cheap imitations of a real deal we can no longer reach, and chances are you overpaid for the thrill more than the style when you bought those Fresh Prince pants and Urkel glasses from a so-called “consignment boutique.” Businesses have learned to take advantage of your cash-carrying thirst for throwbacks.

And so have your friends.

Do you remember how crappy the Easy Bake Oven was? We make an instant connection with our fellow men and women who also struggled with the cooking powers of a 60-watt light bulb. We feel distant from and even sorry for anyone brave and honest enough to admit they did not have to overcome such an insufficient culinary tool.

But we still go bat-shit for any retrograde — any glimmer of reversion our modern world might make — in the hopes that the comfort and security we felt in the third grade might return to our beaten psyche, now so close to the real world (though not “The Real World.” The newer seasons of that crap can go to hell).

Side-by-side comparisons illustrate why being a ’90s kid was far superior to growing up post-millennium, and it’s difficult to argue. Of course “Hey Arnold” kicks “Jimmy Neutron’s” ass, and Aaron Carter was leagues ahead of Justin Bieber. Have you heard “That’s How I Beat Shaq”?

But stop berating small children for owning iPods at an age when we had Skip-its. I don’t care if Polly-Pocket got a boob job or that Bratz are just slutty Barbies. Get a grip.

Even with the resurgence of our favorite toys and the resurrection of familiar television shows, few in the entertainment industry have picked up on the backward trend more than the Internet — with its Reddit addicts, bored-at-work users and the prevalence of content generated by unemployed basement-dwellers.

Countless bait-and-switch videos and face-swap memes feature the flaming hair and crazy eyes of Nigel Thornberry. In a smashing crescendo of ’90s mash-up madness, Internet users even began inserting Thornberry’s manic mug into scenes from Disney movies.

Now they’re just screwing with us.

We find ourselves seeking new ways to connect with and update our cartoon-and-Furby-filled past. What will be on the next Buzzfeed list? Which photo is most throwback-Thursday appropriate for my Instagram audience? Where the hell did my Skydancer fly off to?

With the modern age more than accommodating to our fanatics, the best way to travel back in time is to bring the things we love into the modern era.

So go ahead, set the DVR for “Girl Meets World.” Download the app for “Saved by the Bell” trivia and buy the new Britney album. But for the love of recess, keep it under control.