What Gen Z's Nostalgia Is Really Telling Us
A new NBC News poll finding that nearly half of young Americans would choose to live in the past is getting a lot of attention. Gen Z nostalgia for an era that predates them is a topic I have been discussing a lot with NBC lately, including in several appearances on NBC Today and a recent interview with Gadi Schwartz for NBC News, so I want to share some thoughts on how I think we should interpret findings like this one.
First, let’s consider some other results from the same poll. Over 60% of Gen Z respondents said they expect life will be worse for them compared to previous generations, and 80% said the country is on the wrong track, the highest share of any age group surveyed. These are young people carrying a lot of anxiety and frustration about the present and where things are headed, and those feelings are inspiring their sentimentality toward the past. But I do not see this as unhealthy escapism.
Nostalgia functions as a psychological resource, especially during times of uncertainty and disruption. It helps people step out of the current moment and find comfort, inspiration, and guidance from their own cherished memories or the broader shared stories of earlier eras. Research shows that nostalgia increases positive mood, a sense of belongingness, meaning in life, self-confidence, goal motivation, optimism about the future, creative problem-solving, prosocial behavior, and other mental states and actions that advance human progress and flourishing. This is not escapism. This is using the past to approach the future with agency, purpose, and determination.
It is worth pausing here on the distinction between nostalgia and declinism, because they are often confused. Declinism is the belief that society is deteriorating and the best days are behind us. Nostalgia is something quite different, a warm sentimentality toward the past. Whereas nostalgia helps people approach the future with an open and positive mindset, declinism does the opposite.
Looking at the poll numbers, it is fair to say that Gen Z is showing some signs of declinist thinking. Large majorities believe life will be worse for them than for previous generations and that the country is going in the wrong direction. That is worth taking seriously. But it is important to remember that nostalgia is often triggered by negative feelings about the present and future, and that it helps people work through those feelings and approach what lies ahead with renewed purpose and hope.
We should be careful about making broad generalizations across an entire generation, but the research our team at the Human Flourishing Lab has done on Gen Z nostalgia, as well as other work I have been involved in on this topic, leads me to believe that most young adults are using their nostalgia for earlier eras constructively, as a way to resist the pull of declinism and restore a sense of hope and possibility. There will always be those whose yearning for the past tips into something less healthy, but that does not appear to be the dominant pattern.
The NBC poll and interviews they conducted give us useful clues about what Gen Z is specifically nostalgic for and what that says about the future they want to build. Among the nearly half of young Americans who said they would prefer to live in the past, the majority chose a period less than 50 years ago, essentially the world of the 1990s and early 2000s, right before the smartphone and social media became central organizing features of daily life. In interviews, young adults explained that this longing is shaped by their uneasy relationship with always-on technology, and that looking back to an earlier era offers them a sense of community and comfort amid anxieties about where technology and the broader world are headed.
Gen Z is not anti-technology. Our research at the Human Flourishing Lab finds that Gen Z recognizes both the benefits and the downsides of modern digital life. In our surveys, 86% say they are interested in learning about new technologies, 88% are motivated to use them, and 84% find it important to keep an open mind about technological advances. At the same time, 80% worry their generation is too dependent on technology, 74% are concerned about social media’s impact on mental health, and 58% believe new technologies are more likely to drive people apart than bring them together. They value what these platforms offer, but they also believe they are contributing to real mental health struggles and making it harder for people to trust and connect with each other.
Digital and real-world life do not have to be at war with each other, and I believe Gen Z is working hard to figure out that balance. They are not throwing their smartphones away. They are buying vinyl records and film cameras and physical books while still using social media to discover and organize offline experiences. What they are pushing back against is the feeling of being controlled by technology rather than in control of it. That desire for a more intentional and human-centered relationship with the digital world is also showing up in how they think about mental health. Many of them are drawing a direct line between their anxiety and the way modern technology has come to dominate their attention and social lives. Rather than accepting this as their fate, they are actively looking for ways to rebalance.
Every era has its challenges, and advances that help solve one problem can contribute to others. Digital technologies have connected us in remarkable ways and created new opportunities for creativity and commerce, but they have also created real pressures on our attention, psychological health, and social lives.
I think we sometimes lose sight of the human component of human progress. Nostalgia, I would argue, helps keep us anchored to it. It reminds us of the importance of deep relationships, real-world experiences, and a sense of meaning and purpose. And it helps us carry those things forward as we navigate whatever comes next. That is what I believe Gen Z is doing right now, and I think they are going to lead the rest of us toward a healthier relationship with these technologies and, ultimately, with each other.
If you are interested in hearing more of my thoughts on these themes, I recently sat down with Apple News In Conversation to discuss them at length. You can listen here.
Before I sign off, I wanted to let you know that I will be taking the rest of May off from Flourishing Friday. I have some big things in the works that I look forward to sharing here when I am back in June.
Have a great weekend!
Clay