If you’re a Gen Z woman, you’ve probably already noticed other women or felt the need to seek comfort by returning to your childhood — such as watching a children’s show you used to watch when you were little or forming a lifelong attachment to a specific character, but have you ever wondered why we feel this need?
Not that nostalgia is something exclusive to women, but it’s not hard to notice that this behavior is perceived differently when it is a woman or a man doing the same “childhood” thing .
Women with “childish” tastes are often ridiculed or made to feel embarrassed because of interests that, ultimately, are not in the place to being judged, because after all they have no impact on the people around them; while adult men who are interested in anime, video games, action figures, etc, do not receive malicious comments because of it.
The pressure isn’t the same for both groups: while men are labeled as “geeks,” collectors, or nerds, women face absurd comments, such as suggestions that their tastes stem from mental disorders, like Peter Pan Syndrome. Isabele herself suffered comments like that on a vídeo that she posted on her account — a man suggested that she suffered from this syndrome just because she had items that, from his point of view, were childish.
Taking a closer look, it’s interesting that, even though girls are expected to mature before boys, we shouldn’t lose our femininity or the tastes we’ve developed over the course of our lives. We often come across hair products, makeup, clothing, and many other items with prints and designs inspired by many girls’ childhoods, featuring iconic characters and works; but even so, if you’re seen wearing this products, you are very likely to hear at least one inappropriate comment about it, making you feel embarrassed and reinforcing the stereotype that adult women can’t wear things “made for children” — even if it was designed for your age group and you feel comfortable wearing it, it is seen as a lack of maturity, which is exactly the opposite of the truth.
Why do we return to our youth?
After talking with Isabele Roque, a 24-year-old psychologist who graduated at São Judas Tadeu University, the answer is clear: due to all the pressure young women constantly face, revisiting those moments when life was more simple brings a sense of comfort and helps them regain their balance.
“Gen Z grew up amid expectations, comparisons, the internet, and constant change. So, things that provide emotional comfort, such as The Powerpuff Girls, Winx, Barbie, Monster High, etc, can serve as a shortcut to a time perceived as simpler. […] When we talk about emotional attachments, we’re talking about returning to when we felt safe.”
With this in mind, we can more easily understand where that search comes from and why it is so easy to find yourself in that situation. On top of all that, there is also the fact that the ‘childhood aesthetic’ came back into fashion recently, and, thanks to the internet, the access to the memories of these characters, cartoons and TV series is very preserved and easy.
“This is something very specific to our generation. You can see that now we’re back to wearing ribbons, carrying stuffed animals in our bags, using stickers, etc. Hello Kitty is really all the rage. So they’ve become an expression of personality […] Our generation grew up knowing that the world was going to be technological […] in other words, the characters have left a lasting impression and remain accessible, even as an emotional attachment.”
Also, due to the pandemic, a lot of people ended up missing major milestones in their lives — some started or graduated high school, and even entered college without getting to experience these moments in the way they had imagined. As a result, many were left wondering whether they had really entered adulthood, making their attachment to the past even stronger.
Isabele also mentioned that the impact of the internet on nostalgia was big, but the pandemic was something that turned this nostalgia into a collective feeling, driven by the affection that people craved and needed during that time.
Things we keep from who we used to be
While growing up, it is almost second nature to choose a character to “be you” when watching a show, whether it’s because of the way they dress, their signature color, or simply because you think their design is cool.
These characters often became more than just favorites: through their stories, personalities, and struggles, they gave children different ways to understand the world around them.
Without even realizing it, we were learning from them. Anger, sadness, friendship, rejection, and other experiences were presented through stories that made these emotions easier to understand.
“Children don’t just learn from what happens in the story. They also notice how the character deals with it, which helps them build and manage their emotions, no matter how complicated they may seem.”
Isabele Roque, psychologist
That is why when we take a look back to our childhood, it is very easy to see yourself in one character or in a show. They are part of the person you would grow up to be.
Growing up doesn’t mean letting it go
In the end, clinging to things from when you were a kid — whether it’s a character, a cartoon, or a stuffed animal — is not a synonym of being immature and absolutely not wrong. Searching for comfort in childhood is a way to try reconnecting with yourself again and relearn lessons that they gave you when you weren’t grown up enough to understand the importance of some of them.
“It’s important for people to continue enjoying the same things or even learning new ones. That doesn’t make anyone childish; it doesn’t make anyone less mature; it isn’t a sign of any psychological disorder. It simply happens because it’s perfectly normal. It’s part of your personality. You can be a woman and, at the same time, work, have children, study, and continue to enjoy the things you liked as a child […] It just says a lot about you and how you’ve matured, understanding who you are from here on out.”
Maybe what makes nostalgia so powerful is the fact that we can always look back to the good times and see them with new perspectives, becoming reminders of experiences, relationships, and moments that helped shape us. We can not go back to those moments, but we truly can always cherish them and be grateful for being able to find pieces of it in the lives we build today.
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The article above was edited by Ana Rita Rodrigues Fernandes.
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