The tech savvy and culturally sensitive generation, typically dubbed Gen Z, has popularized a new type of nostalgia, one that romanticizes an era from a time before they were born. Gen Z has seamlessly integrated technology, clothes, and entertainment from the 20th century into their modern lifestyles, and despite being labeled the digital generation, are showing signs of technological aversion.
The most obvious example of this new shift in lifestyle can be seen on the shelves of your local Urban Outfitters. Retired mechanical devices like record players, film cameras and cassette tapes are all devices that were dawned and adored when Baby Boomers were in the hot seat of youth, socially banned from the cultural zeitgeist as soon as more advanced replacements took the attention of consumers. However, if you were to take a peek into the rooms of middle class trendy teenagers or the cars of chic twenty-somethings you would most likely see one or more of these items.
Growing up in the age where Facetune and Photoshop are commonly used verbs, there is a weight lifted after each snap of a photo taken with film. It captures real emotions, real moments, and real faces. No more skinny waists and blemish free foreheads. Only red eyes and blurry smiles to capture as keepsakes. Similarly, with free applications available as one-click sources for music consumption, vinyl records and cassette tapes give a never-before chance for Gen Z to experience their music by hand.
Another example is the way in which vintage clothing and hairstyles have made their way back into style, being picked up primarily by Gen Z. Unique clothing pieces collected from various thrift and vintage stores are promoted as closet essentials by every new influencer to their audience of fashion-forward young consumers. These pieces precede the rise of the modern rapid trend cycle, and can be worn with ease because of their classic designs and durable materials. Additionally, because Gen Z is a notably environmentally conscious generation, shopping sustainably aligns with their mission of environmental repair.
Even modes of entertainment have evolved in a way that looks vaguely familiar to those available to older generations. Podcasts, one the most popular forms of entertainment at the moment, are arguably a modern version of radio shows. Listening to others divulge information and share stories with little to no visual aid offers a refreshing way to relax that feels easy and genuine.
However, despite the pull towards a simpler lifestyle, many young people still feel as though owning a collection of smart-devices, a closet of trendy pieces, and an array of streaming subscriptions is the only way to ensure one will stay relevant among their peers. Because of this, Gen Z has found a way to blend previously outdated devices, fashion, and entertainment into their sleek electronic-driven lifestyle. Contemporary music can now be experienced with a static background and flipped to “side B,” vintage clothing is worn with new pieces and altered to fit a modern silhouette, and popular media reflects the most cinematic moments of the past century.
So what is it about these outdated pieces of technology, forgotten style trends, and reflections of previous pastimes that have Gen Z obsessed, especially when they’ve already been upgraded and “perfected” by men in black turtlenecks and online fashion critiques? Why are young people integrating the popular items of their parent’s past into their own present?
My personal take, from a Gen Z consumer who took a break from posting sharp iPhone photos on Instagram and is instead pasting handfuls of polaroids on my bedroom walls, is the humanistic crave of simplicity. There comes a time when even the convenience of perfection feels overwhelming. It’s the simplistic and physical nature of these devices, services, and styles that are so enticing to young people. Gen Z is made up of market-driving consumers, and I predict this new shift in buying habits will soon begin to alter the way technology is advanced, produced, and consumed.