POV: You Were Born In The Wrong Generation

You’ve probably felt it. That pang. A pull. Maybe while scrolling through a ‘Roaring Twenties’ Pinterest board. Or while binge-watching Bridgerton, wrapped in an era you never experienced firsthand. A yearn to be in that period. That nostalgia for a time you’ve never lived in, it’s called anemoia.

Traditionally, psychologists have thought that nostalgia is based on our recollections of that experience. But this doesn’t really explain anemoia since people are yearning for something they never even witnessed firsthand. This feeling is also more common among Gen-Z people. It can be seen across various forms: music, films, books and normal everyday objects like going back to flip-phones, 90s blowouts and watching movies on DVDs.

So, why exactly are we so eager to check out of the present and check into the past?

If we look at this through a psychological lens, our memory is not exactly a copy and paste of what we see. Instead, it’s  a reconstruction, one which our imagination can also play a role in (Jarrett, 2023). This could make us feel like we’ve experienced events or traditions that we’ve only watched in movies. Also, anemoia can be acquired from the previous generation. When growing up, we may admire the stories our parents tell us of the fashion or music of their generation. This admiration could turn into imitation, where we also try to do the same things they did.

Some psychologists, such as Enrique Garcia, think that it is because Gen-Z’s life is so bad that we want to escape (Arana, 2023; OSCILL8, 2025). We are the generation that will have to face climate change and a global economy where a house is barely affordable.  Gen-Zs feel the pressure from society and other adults in their life to be socially aware while also making sure that we can focus on our own success. So even if the past was not all sparkles, it seems more appealing than what we’re dealing with now (OSCILL8, 2025). However, this explanation is from psychologists’ perspectives, who are probably not even Gen-Z.

Here’s what I think: we have simply become highly influenced by trends we see online, which in turn, can be seen as a form of consumerism. I'm sure that most of you have seen posts on social media along the lines of ‘Your month = the era you represent’. 

Why does it matter what era I represent? I don’t even care. But I still click that post and send it to a bunch of people. We’re living in an age where our minds have become conditioned to follow what we see on social media and businesses know that. So when your favourite 90’s cosplaying influencer recommends you a store to buy vintage clothes, the chances are you probably will. They know we are obsessed with a new aesthetic everyday, so they tailor themselves in that way to promote their products.

Don’t get me wrong – I think it's fine to find certain aesthetics interesting. But apart from that, I don’t think it’s that deep, or that there’s any underlying scientific explanation for it. With social media, we are just able to see these aesthetics more, so we think about it more. Do you think someone living in the 18th century would have wanted to live in the 17th century?

No matter the reason for anemoia, it’s important that we remember to stay in the present before it slips away. Maybe, instead of focusing on bringing old trends back, we ought to make our own traditions so memorable that someone 30 years down the road would want to recreate them.

References:

Arana, I. (2023, October 14). Modern nostalgia: Why do young people ache for a past they never lived? El Pais 50. Retrieved February 4, 2026, from https://0scill8.substack.com/p/why-are-young-people-so-nostalgic

Jarrett, C. (2023, September 22). Anemoia: the psychology behind feeling nostalgic for a time you've never known. BBC Science Focus. Retrieved February 4, 2026, from https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/anemoia-nostalgia

OSCILL8. (2025, April 24). Why Are Young People So Nostalgic for a Time They Never Lived In? https://0scill8.substack.com/p/why-are-young-people-so-nostalgic