How Young People Use Historical Nostalgia to Navigate Modern Life
For over two decades, I've been studying how people use nostalgia—those sentimental reflections on meaningful past experiences—to navigate life's challenges and cultivate psychological well-being. Most of my research has focused on personal nostalgia, examining how revisiting our own cherished memories helps us feel more connected to others, boosts our confidence, enriches our sense of meaning in life, and makes us more optimistic about the future.
But recently, I've become fascinated by a different form of nostalgia that seems to be increasingly prevalent, especially among young people. Historical nostalgia—feeling sentimental about times you never personally experienced—has become a significant cultural force, particularly for Gen Z. These digital natives, who grew up with smartphones, social media, and streaming services, are showing remarkable interest in the cultural products, experiences, and aesthetics of pre-digital eras.
To better understand this phenomenon, our team at the Human Flourishing Lab partnered with the amazing team at discover.ai to explore how young people are engaging with the past through cultural products, trends, hobbies, traditions, and stories. Through an analysis of online conversations and narratives, we sought to understand how this unique form of nostalgia serves Gen Z psychologically.
Our analysis revealed two broad themes in how young people engage with historical nostalgia. The first, which we call "Crafting the Self," shows how Gen Z uses elements of past eras as creative resources for identity exploration and self-expression. They're not simply copying old styles or romanticizing bygone days—they're actively reinterpreting and remixing elements of the past to develop distinctive forms of personal expression in the present.
The second theme, "Roots and Wings," highlights how historical nostalgia helps young people find stability and growth in our rapidly evolving world. In an age of constant digital connection and technological change, many are finding value in slower, more tactile experiences and traditions from the past. They're also using historical nostalgia to build bridges across generations, creating meaningful connections with family members through shared appreciation of cultural traditions.
Of all the insights that emerged from our analysis, I found the concept of "meta-nostalgia" particularly fascinating. This occurs when young people engage with and reinterpret the nostalgic experiences of previous generations, creating a kind of intergenerational dialogue through shared cultural touchstones.
What makes this especially interesting from a psychological perspective is how it potentially aligns with research on the intergenerational transfer of nostalgic experiences. Studies have shown that when young adults are exposed to older adults' nostalgic memories, they too experience heightened feelings of nostalgia. This occurs even when young people encounter nostalgic reflections about times they never personally experienced.
But Gen Z isn't simply adopting these transmitted nostalgic experiences wholesale. Instead, they're engaging in what we observed as a kind of creative archaeological expedition through cultural history. They discover artifacts from previous eras—whether that's vinyl records, vintage fashion, or classic films—and reinterpret them through a contemporary lens. This creates fascinating layers of cultural engagement where, for instance, a young person might experience nostalgia not just for the 1980s, but for the way the early 2000s interpreted and reimagined 1980s culture.
These findings help illuminate broader cultural trends we're observing. Young Americans are increasingly driving the resurgence of analog experiences and products, from vinyl records and film cameras to board games and physical books. In a previous survey from our team at the Human Flourishing Lab, we found that 60% of Gen Z wished they could return to a time before everyone was "plugged in." But rather than reflecting a simple rejection of modern technology or naive romanticization of the past, our analysis with discover.ai reveals something more nuanced: young people are thoughtfully and creatively engaging with historical nostalgia as a psychological resource. They're using elements of the past to help address contemporary challenges, build meaningful connections across generations, and imagine new possibilities for balancing technological progress with fundamental human needs for tangible experiences and authentic social connection.
Have a great weekend!
Clay