Molly

To bolster our analysis, my research team also conducted a representative survey this year of more than 2,000 adults in the United States. We found that most Gen Z adults — 68 percent — reported feeling nostalgic for eras before their lifetime.

In other words, nostalgia is, counterintuitively, a future-oriented endeavor. We draw on it to resolve our dissatisfactions in the present and to move forward with hope and determination. Yes, nostalgia can be indulged. But for most people, most of the time, it is a stabilizing and energizing force.

Sixty percent of Gen Z adults said that they wished they could return to a time before everyone was “plugged in.”

Most of my research on nostalgia has focused on the sentimental engagement with cherished memories from one’s own life. But people can also feel nostalgic for a past that predates them, which is known as historical nostalgia.

Gen Z continues to mine Y2K and early-aughts aesthetics impossibly hard (Victoria’s Secret, Uggs, Hunter boots), but eventually they’ll run out of millennial trends to resurrect. I’m curious to see if they’ll then reach back to the ‘90s (or even earlier?) or if they’ll start nostalgizing their own pandemic-era experiences.

Self-optimization as status symbols: As you can see from the prevalence of Oura Rings, Hatch alarm clocks, Bala Bangles, self-tanning products, and elaborate skincare routines, Gen Z has internalized wellness culture as identity. These items are all functional, sure, but they also indicate to their peers that they’re the kind of person who “invests... See more

A cringey New Year’s Eve fail warns of what happens “when you believe everything you see on TikTok” (Creators)

A viral TikTok video captured a crowd eagerly awaiting a New Year’s Eve fireworks show near the Brooklyn Bridge, only to realize it was a hoax. The incident sparked a discussion about media literacy and the dangers of believing everything... See more

The Anxiety Loop

On one hand, rituals provide structure, control and the satisfaction of “doing something” about perceived flaws. They create agency in a world where many things feel beyond control. For some women, the nightly routine genuinely reduces anxiety even if it doesn’t actually help physically.

It’s no surprise that Gen Z is having less sex than previous generations, not (only) because of surveillance or puritanism or disinterest: As one 17-year-old high school senior told The Atlantic , “Sex is easy, and emotional connection is hard.” Hand-holding feels scarier than hooking up because it signals real vulnerability. Another student said... See more