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Our collective obsession with nostalgia – or is it a creativity crisis?

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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Casper Libero chapter.

Animated movies turned into live-actions, sequels, soap operas, remixes, songs, books, clothes, and fashion… Is this all about a longing for the golden era of the best of culture that we miss or does this generation doesn’t know how to produce things like old times?

OLD BUT GOLD

Passing through a throwback loop in every kind of content, the flashback goes from series evoking the 80s, like Stranger Things, to the dreaded low-rise pants of the 2000s.

Novels like Pantanal, Elas por Elas and Renascer are reinterpretations that skyrocket audience ratings in Brazil. Songs that received platinum records over 20 years ago are being revamped with a new version. Technology and photography, with foldable cell phones, the return of cybershots and analog camera effects. Makeup and clothes from the 90’s fashion, making room and dictating the current trend.

@nicky.reardon

Im tired of nostalgia-bait remakes and prequels WHERE is something new?😭 #meangirlsmovie #thisisnostalgiabait #barbiemovie

♬ original sound – Nicky

The old times are invading our world, but why is this happening? Nostalgia often involves a sense of fondness for memories and can be accompanied by feelings of comfort and contentment. An article from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) states that this is due to an idealization of the past, where previous generations were seen as simpler, more authentic, and genuine – creating an emotional connection with younger audiences.

Interestingly, nowadays, there is a resurgence of past trends among young people, who may not necessarily have personal memories of those times.

RECYCLING IDEAS

As a way to preserve affective and individual memories, it is believed that everyone has clung to these past ideas for old times’ sake. Cinematic productions come with that super technology and supposedly more evolved characters, but the reality is that the story remains the same.

This is where creativity meets nostalgia to bring satisfaction, fascination, and emotion to the audience. An old audience that is always excited and hopeful to see scenes from their beloved melancholic and original films in a new version, revamped and updated in a new nostalgic dazzle.

CRISIS

There’s nothing bad about feeling nostalgic. But the big question is: do we not have any more new ideas?

It is believed that tough times were triggered by the pandemic. The obsession with nostalgia was collective, as we clung to what was common in our way of living.With all the technology and artificial intelligence, we started having everything at our fingertips, including ideas.

Combining difficult times with technological advances, we turned to what we always had and refused to create new things. With an increasingly impatient and lazy world, creativity gave way to inventions that were already invented.

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The article above was edited by Clara Rocha.

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Gabriela Belchior

Casper Libero '26

Hi! I’m Gabi, journalism student at Casper Libero University. Welcome to the purest essence of me: communication.