It has been almost a whole year since the world went into lockdown. With the amount of things we’ve witnessed and gone through first hand, there’s no doubting that the pandemic has changed us all. Being in quarantine has revealed many interesting patterns in human behavior and made me realize that we are all very similar in certain ways. I’ve particularly noticed the wave of nostalgia that has penetrated through social media and my own behaviors. There are so many old trends making a comeback during the pandemic and it’s got me thinking… Why has the Harry Potter craze started up again? Why can’t I stop thinking about Percy Jackson whenever I hear Paparazzi by Lady Gaga? Why has roller skating become popular again? I wanted to find out more about why many of us are falling back to old comforts and if this trend means anything, so I did some research and discovered a lot of interesting information that I’d love to share.
For those of you that might not understand what I mean by nostalgic comforts, I’ve compiled a list below of things people have fallen back in love with during quarantine. Social media, specifically Tik Tok, has fostered a sense of comfort by feeding us with content reminiscing of the past. People have found comfort in their old “obsession” phases, whether that’s listening to One Direction on repeat or watching all the Harry Potter movies for the hundredth time. No matter what the activity is for you, this nostalgia allows us to escape from reality for a little bit and feel emotions we associated with that previous time in our life.
Starting off, I have some not-so-great news. Apparently nostalgia is a COPING MECHANISM. It’s a common response to distress, which is understandable due to the distressing panoramic. According to Psychology Today, distressing experiences include “loneliness, boredom, and ‘self-discontinuity’”, which are all things people are going through during this time. Everyone is experiencing loneliness to some extent as we are disconnected from the family and friends we used to see on a regular basis, and boredom is inevitable if you’re sitting at home all day doing the same monotonous tasks. Self-discontinuity refers to a feeling of disconnect with one’s past self; this is pretty apparent right now as we tap through our “1 Year Ago” snap chat memories while sitting in our childhood bedrooms at age 20.
Uncertainty is also a huge factor in our nostalgic comforts. Last March I thought I’d be back to school after Spring break, but look where we’re at now. Not knowing when the world will be back to normal is extremely stressful and you might feel like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. The future, especially right now, is so unpredictable and when there’s nothing to look forward to there’s only one other thing to do – look backwards!
Nostalgia can help people feel a sense of stability during a time where there’s so much of the opposite. According to a NY Times article , “our brains often take us to places that we subconsciously designate as “safe,” like past memories of a joyful vacation or happy childhood moments that made us feel loved.” Recalling those moments where we were so unaware of the world around us (such as when we were kids), helps diffuse the reality of the situation outside our doors.
The good news? This is all healthy and normal. Nostalgia is like a comforting warm blanket, and if it makes you feel good that’s all the matters. So fear not, just because you are rewatching your childhood favorites or listening to a now broken up boy band on repeat, it doesn’t mean you’re weird or crazy.
Interesting Nostalgia Statistics from stylus.com:
-
“More than half of US Gen Zers (born between 1996-2009) and millennials (born between 1981-1995) have tuned in to familiar, nostalgic TV shows and music during lockdown (MRC Data, 2020).
-
In the week of April 1-7, music-streaming service Spotify reported a 54% increase in nostalgia-themed playlists being created (Spotify, 2020).
-
Tweets including “I miss” increased by 63% worldwide during lockdown, while Facebook is launching an app, E.gg, which rekindles the look and feel of early-90s internet.
-
Thirty-seven per cent of UK consumers are revisiting dishes from their childhood in lockdown (Co-op, 2020).”
Things people have fallen back in love with in quarantine:
-
Harry Potter
-
Percy Jackson
-
Star Wars
-
Twilight
-
Aly & AJ
-
Victorious
-
iCarly
-
Phineas and Ferb
-
Throwback Taylor Swift
-
Jonas Brothers
-
One Direction
-
Early 2000s pop music
-
E-girl/e-boy aesthetic
-
Coloring
-
Roller skating
-
Naps
-
Cuties tangerines
-
Cheetos obsession
-
Stuffed toys/plushies
-
Tumblr
-
Pinterest
Sources: