Why Gen Z is nostalgic for a past they never lived

From Y2K style and vinyl records to analog cameras and flip phones, Generation Z has embraced the fashions, music, and technologyopens in new window of decades past—despite being too young to have experienced them firsthand.

New survey data give substance to that consumer trend: About 7 in 10 U.S. adults feel nostalgic for eras before their lifetime and are drawn to products, media, and styles from those eras, particularly Gen Z and millennials. Two-thirds of Gen Z adults say this historical nostalgia—or sentimental longing for periods before they were born—helps them manage anxiety about the future. The findings come from a nationally representative survey of 2,085 U.S. adults conducted by The Harris Poll and the Human Flourishing Lab, a research initiative of the nonprofit Archbridge Institute led by psychologist Clay Routledge, PhD (Historical Nostalgia in Modern America: Exploring Its Prevalence, Appeal, and Psychological Utility, Human Flourishing Lab, 2025opens in new window).

After coming of age surrounded by climate concerns, rising social strife, and pressure to be “always online,” Gen Z is really “craving a simpler, more present time, and they are looking to some of these earlier technologies and ways of living to find it,” said Lauren Cook, PhD, a clinical psychologist in private practice in Pasadena, California, and author of Generation Anxiety: A Millennial and Gen Z Guide to Staying Afloat in an Uncertain World (Abrams Image, 2023). Examples include thrift shopping, scheduling phone-free hangouts, and curating collections of physical media such as CDs and DVDs.

“We find that young adults are not just seeking these things out as novelties or entertainment, but that they are mining the past for ways to enhance their lives,” said Andrew Abeyta, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Rutgers University and a research fellow at the Human Flourishing Lab who studies nostalgia.

While historical nostalgia is not unique to Gen Z, social media has given today’s young adults unprecedented access to the music, technology, and aesthetics of eras they never lived through.

Nostalgia for one’s own experiences, known as personal nostalgia, has known psychological benefits. It can boost feelings of social connectedness, help manage worries about the future, and strengthen identity and sense of self (Sedikides, C., & Wildschut, T., Review of General Psychology, Vol. 22, No. 1, 2018). Growing evidence suggests that historical nostalgia may serve some of the same functions.

“There’s a tendency to frame Gen Z’s interest in the past negatively—as another symptom of depression, anxiety, or loneliness,” said Routledge, a leader in historical nostalgia research. “But there’s a strong theoretical and empirical case to be made that young people are agentic—and that they are turning to the past to solve their problems and improve their lives.”

Much of the psychological research on nostalgia has focused on personal nostalgia, both as a personality trait and as a transient emotional state, finding its effects to be largely positive.

Nostalgia differs from other ways of looking at the past. Unlike rumination, which involves dwelling on negative thoughts or experiences, or declinism, the feeling that things are much worse now than they used to be, nostalgia consistently promotes social connectedness and reduces loneliness (Abeyta, A. A., et al., Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 11, 2020opens in new window). Researchers believe this is because it reminds people of meaningful relationships, reinforces their sense of belonging, and motivates them to connect with others. It also helps people maintain a sense of self-continuity, reinforcing their identity across different stages of life (Sedikides, C., et al., Emotion, Vol. 16, No. 4, 2016opens in new window).

“Nostalgia points out a common thread running through our past, present, and future,” said Tim Wildschut, PhD, a professor of social and personality psychology at the University of Southampton in England who has done seminal research on nostalgia. “It reminds us that what has mattered to us in the past still matters to us now—and probably always will.”

Related to these benefits, nostalgia appears to increase well-being, vitality, and meaning in life (Hepper, E. G., et al., Emotion, Vol. 21, No. 3, 2021; Sedikides, C., & Wildschut, T., Review of General Psychology, Vol. 22, No. 1, 2018opens in new window). Nostalgia for one’s past is also, perhaps paradoxically, a future-oriented experience, spurring people to overcome challenges and take action toward their goals (Abeyta, A. A., et al., Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 109, No. 6, 2015).

“Conjuring up these special memories inspires us to re-create them in some ways—and ultimately to better our lives,” Abeyta said.

People may feel increased nostalgia during milestone moments, such as a wedding, anniversary, or graduation. Major life disruptions or threats to one’s core sense of security—including job loss, divorce, or a serious illness—are also known to increase nostalgia (Batcho, K., The American Journal of Psychology, Vol. 126, No. 3, 2013opens in new window; Sedikides, C., et al., European Journal of Social Psychology, Vol. 45, No. 1, 2014opens in new window).

“During these times, personal memories can help remind us of who we are and help us prepare to take on challenges,” said Krystine Batcho, PhD, a professor of psychology at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, who studies nostalgia and its triggers.

Even at the societal level, periods of uncertainty appear to evoke nostalgia. During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spotify users in the United Kingdom were more likely to listen to older songs than they were before the national lockdown (Yeung, T. Y., Humanities & Social Sciences Communications, Vol. 10, No. 132, 2023opens in new window).

Psychologists believe a similar mechanism may be at play with historical nostalgia, though more research is needed to confirm the link.

“We know that people can draw strength from their own memories during difficult times,” Routledge said. “But what if the past that feels most useful and reassuring to young people today—particularly digital-native Gen Z—is one they never experienced?”

A set of experiments conducted by Wildschut and his colleagues suggests that nostalgic memories can have benefits—even if they belong to someone else. The researchers had older adults write down both nostalgic and ordinary memories, then asked younger adults to read them. The young adults who read nostalgic memories reported greater social connectedness, self-continuity, and meaning in life than those who read ordinary memories (Memory, Vol. 26, No. 8, 2018opens in new window).

“These findings provide evidence that a nostalgic sentiment can be beneficial even when it doesn’t come from your own memory,” Routledge said.

Routledge began to study historical nostalgia after noticing that young adults were driving renewed interest in vinyl records, physical books, and other older media. In a qualitative analysis conducted with discover.ai, a cultural insights firm, he explored Gen Z online discourse to understand why young people are drawn to historical nostalgia and what psychological functions these trends may serve (Gen Z and the Power of Historical Nostalgia, Human Flourishing Lab, 2024opens in new window).

The analysis of online conversations and narratives suggests that historical nostalgia may ease anxiety about the future by helping young adults feel more grounded in the present. Rather than seeing it as an escape, many described using it to build a greater sense of agency, connection, and purpose in their daily lives.

For one, young adults talked about how older technology and retro fashion helped them feel more in control of their lives. Curating a cassette tape collection—instead of relying on Spotify’s AI recommendations—gave them the sense that they were back in the driver’s seat. They also felt that choosing a flip phone provided a much-needed break from social media, while thrifting vintage clothing led to a sense of individuality and made them feel like they were reducing their environmental impact.

“For a lot of Gen Z, this interest in things from past generations can also be a way of repurposing, consuming more thoughtfully, and pushing back against consumerism,” said Goali Saedi Bocci, PhD, a clinical psychologist in private practice and author of The Social Media Workbook for Teens, whose work focuses on youth mental health and modern digital culture.

Routledge’s qualitative report also found that historical nostalgia appeared connected with Gen Z’s sense of community and their connections both across and within generations. While many young people discovered retro trends on TikTok, they were often inspired to talk with parents, grandparents, or older coworkers about what life was like and what they could learn from the past. Adopting those trends—such as wearing a grandparent’s vintage sari or listening to a parent’s favorite music—also created a sense of belonging with peers who embraced similar interests.

“Ironically, young people are often exposed to content from earlier eras on social media, but their frustration with social media also appears to be one of their main drivers of their nostalgia for the predigital age,” Routledge said.

Social media helps shape—and even monetize—nostalgic culture through nostalgiacore, an online aesthetic that uses vintage music, fashion, filters, and visual styles (such as grainy camcorder effects) to evoke earlier decades. Researchers say digital platforms have made such nostalgic media and imagery more visible and accessible than ever before (Niemeyer, K., & Siebert, O., Current Opinion in Psychology, Vol. 50, 2023opens in new window).

Other research is starting to investigate how and why using retro technologies in particular may support psychological well-being. One study, which relied on surveys and interviews of 600 analog photography users in southeastern China, found that the practice was linked to higher self-esteem and lower perceived stress. Participants were drawn to analog photography for various reasons, including nostalgia, aesthetics, social connection, and the slower, more mindful creative processes (Zhu, Y., Scientific Reports, Vol. 16, No. 2826, 2026opens in new window). The findings suggest that retro technologies may resonate for reasons that go well beyond their vintage appeal.

Some critics dismiss Gen Z’s fascination with earlier eras as a form of escapism. But climate change and mental health expert Britt Wray, PhD, of Stanford University, arguesopens in new window that seeking comfort from the past is a natural response to climate anxiety and other existential threats. The key is to use historical nostalgia not just to self-soothe but also to inspire actions that improve people’s lives and the world around them.

“What is it in this nostalgia that’s so attractive to us?” said Cook. “And how can that inform our values and our choices in the present?”

She uses acceptance and commitment therapy to help patients acknowledge the real—and often proportionate—anxiety they are feeling about the current state of the world and their communities. She encourages them to identify values they associate with earlier eras and live out those values today rather than become resentful or avoidant.

“People are drawn to this time before we became so dependent on digital approval,” Cook said. “They see the freedom people had to dress how they wanted and express themselves without worrying whether it would be documented forever. We can give ourselves that same permission now and try to worry less about appearing ‘cringe.’”

Nostalgia can lead some people to idealize the past, Saedi Bocci said, so it’s important to remember that every period had its challenges.

“When we’re thinking about nostalgia for past eras, we need to look at the full picture,” she said. “It’s an amazing time to be alive right now with modern medicine and technology, greater equality, and opportunities that simply didn’t exist decades ago.”

For psychologists, historical nostalgia is less about longing for the past than using it as a guide for the present. The goal is to pinpoint what people are searching for—in-person connection, more intentional consumption, or a healthier relationship with technology—and build solutions into everyday life.

“This is really a story of optimism,” Routledge said. “The irony is that Gen Z weren’t even alive in the predigital era, but they’re the ones drawing on that time for healthier, more balanced ways of living—something that can hopefully inspire the rest of us.”