This story was originally published on Passionfruit.
Across social media lately, nostalgia feels inescapable; from the resurgence of Y2K and 2014 Tumblr “emo” as aesthetics and fashion trends to endless reboots of classic shows and movies. Even through our memes—the very DNA of the internet—the influence of nostalgia is pertinent. Some of the latest meme formats hone in on beloved childhood memories like the Little Miss books and American Girl dolls with, of course, Gen Z’s trademark self-aware, sardonic, dark humor wrapped up in at least five layers of irony and internet in-jokes.
What’s interesting about nostalgia is that, in online spaces, it has been massively accelerated. We have people feeling nostalgic not just for the 2000s, but 2014 Tumblr teenagerdom, the “good old days” of 2019 TikTok, and 2020 coronavirus lockdown TikTok.
