I definitely consider myself an old soul too! I think that maybe 90s optimism is a big part of that (because everyone tends to be so pessimistic these days and a lot of that 90s optimism leaked into the 2000s as well), but I just feel like there was a certain charm that can be felt when consuming older media, but that's just me personally! It can bealmost addicting...but I will try to think less in this way, for it will only drive me insane in the end, but I hope you understand what I'm trying to say!
Things were never the same after 9/11. I'd imagine it's harder to put a finger on for young people today who weren't at least kindergarteners back then. A decade doesn't really come into its own until the middle part. What I find most interesting about older media is what they thought the future was going to look like.