Introduction
Teenagers have always had a craze for decades. For millennials, it was the 80s to 90s; for most of the younger Gen Z, it is the 2010s. A time before the chaos of the current events in the world. In January 2026, people need to wake up because it’s 2016. But has it gotten a bit out of hand? Tracking the trend of nostalgia down to its motives will help answer this question.
If you are not familiar with the term chronically online, then you may not understand how the algorithm on social media platforms works to make trends. The same songs are constantly used gives the possibility of turning the clock back less hope. The rise of AI has only made the doomscrolling phenomenon a more relatable habit; time flows by, and so people continue to miss out on opportunities for an easy way out. Maybe you have heard about all of this, but that isn’t all there is to the problem.
Nostalgia is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as a feeling of pleasure and slight sadness when you think about things that happened in the past. According to Swiss medical student Johannes Hoffer, it is determined more by the strength of imagination than by whatever was missed. Most people remember things from being a younger toddler, yet the extent to which they experienced the times (if they were alive during the time) varies. So, is it fair to have the debate of being nostalgic over 2014 or 2015 if you were barely in school at the time? Sometimes listening to a single song is enough for you to compare it to the releases now. There was something that made things seem simpler, like Instagram being an app for pictures long before reels came along.
Right when you decided to learn something new by clicking on this article, new pathways between neurons (neuroplasticity). Humans continue to develop and adapt to different mental and physical conditions in their lives, where they use their senses for details that help them recall events. Nostalgia starts here and is not always bittersweet; in fact, it can be expressed in a variety of tones. Looking back can be a really wondrous and beautiful thing. As significant as it is, though, it can also be tiring.
Lockdown on Time
The 2020 effect is a theory that has changed how young people view the passage of time. Stuck in lockdown, there wasn’t a chance to try anything new, so all the days looked the same. Your brain cannot comprehend a day going by if it was experiencing the same actions. Some people on social media comment on how 2020 does not feel like it was 6 years ago, but rather 1 or 2. Or how they feel like their age during COVID instead of the present. Time seemed to move slower back then, possibly because they had less experiences, and more so all of them were different. The lockdown did not force the brain to forget to survive in isolation.
When you do understand the era of the 2010s, dominated by two American presidencies, the start of global internet trends, and external conflicts, it does not seem as optimistic. Nostalgia and this realization are two truths; our lives can be full of moments that, when once looked back on, are missed. In the middle of economic disaster, disease, and political instability, caring for similar experiences is significant to wellbeing as endorphins quickly rise from connection and relatability.
Effects of Media
Movies and TV shows are the most relevant examples of forming this sense of connection tied to a sentimental longing after recovering from COVID. Except that now Netflix has taken over the market, which has changed the usual hobby of focusing on the screen. When people go to the movies, they must ensure their phones are turned off. But as for staying to binge-watch Netflix, second-screen viewing, turning on a movie only to just scroll or play on a smaller screen is more common. Movies are normally expected to let their audiences piece together ideas, but with every decreasing attention span, sentences are repeated so they catch on. The greatest reason for nostalgia of the past is connecting with others and being fully present. Profit is now prohibiting such natural desires that it makes it difficult for young people to enjoy their own lives without turning on their phone to scroll as a source of dopamine.
The 2010s felt refreshing for the most part because there was something new coming out. There is no denying that there were devastating things (like the 2008 economic crisis) that took a hit on people’s lives, but it’s not normal to deal with situations the same way.
Media and Nostalgia on Youth Today
Teenagers are now more depressed than ever, although they age quite slowly compared to other generations. A division on political beliefs and some of the most destructive conflicts that have taken center stage have slowed the time of the “Be Calm and [ ]” posters. Trends die down much faster, and you may notice five users in a row saying the same thing but in other words. Materialism is at an all-time high despite fluctuating economics, with purchases of Labubus being widespread, a factor in the lack of creativity. More people are pressured to do the same things since social rules and ethics have vastly changed since pre-COVID times. However, it is not saying that pessimism is also common on social media platforms and forums, but a familiar chain of reactions is extremely noticeable. It may seem it’s all or nothing for most people. Perhaps young people are not that nostalgic, but it’s their way of simply trying to survive, as they have been for the past 6 years. They are currently grappling with some of their earliest memories from their youth, being 10 years ago, through finding inspiration and hope.
To think that back then nostalgia was a disease is now a daily thought or idea can only serve for how externally changing circumstances continue to impact people, starting with the youngest minds. The question to ask now is, how can we create more positive and less repetitive or profit-driven spaces for them?
Quite a long article, but thank you for reading! Write down your thoughts below on the broader implications of these trends.