Remember when we all used to be into nostalgia?
Those were good times. Also, 7 other things worth your time.
I am what is known as an “Elder Millennial.” Allow me to me set the generational stage.
I’m young enough never to have known a time without internet, but also old enough to know how a rotary phone works…or even what it is to begin with.
As far as I’m concerned, this means I’m still much too young for my childhood to be inspiring popular memes among the Kids These Days(™), thank you very much.
But somehow we’re in the midst of a resurgence of ‘90s fashion and trends—comebacks that throw me for a loop. Having come of age during that era, it’s not one I think we should revisit as an example of great style.
Grunge, neon, and jeans so low-slung they barely count as trousers? They weren’t all that good the first time around.
And yet, Gen Z, which sets the fashion standard now, apparently groupthinks that the turn of the century is now cool and retro, much like my millennial sisters and brothers boosted late ‘70s and early ‘80s fashion revivals.
Meanwhile, as we reach the point of having families and established careers, it’s probably natural for millennials to look back toward childhood with rose-colored glasses.
Cases in point:
First, Tamagotchi, the little virtual pet housed in a plastic egg that was a huge craze in Japan and the US in the ‘90s, have come back.
The relaunched throwback version sold a whopping 82 million units globally in 2019; there’s even now a Tamagotchi smartwatch. It actually seems like a decent combination of fitness tracker and mindless entertainment for a somewhat reasonable price (around US $68).
I can see it being a huge hit in Japan, as well as with a certain type of millennial who still sometimes wonders if their Neopet is alive.
Next up: Trading cards. Yes, they’ve always been an alternative investment for some, but right now, Pokémon is huge. On eBay, listings for Pokémon cards were up 1,046% in the first quarter of 2021, and even brand-new releases are causing commotion.
Target shut down sales of Pokémon cards in its stores for a month this spring, citing customer safety after an armed altercation in a Wisconsin store parking lot. And now, folks are digging old cards out of their parents’ basements and selling them for thousands of dollars a pop.
Meanwhile, card-grading services, which authenticate collectibles and certify what condition they’re in, are so overwhelmed that many have months-long backlogs...or have closed entirely to new requests.
“The reality is that we recently received more cards in three days than we did during the previous three months,” Steve Sloan, the president of Professional Sports Authenticator, told Polygon.
Of course, this isn’t all that unique, as I suspect members of other generations will attest. And it’s not just that millennials have collectively skipped enough avocado toast brunches to have some disposable income again.
Instead, nostalgia—and specifically personal nostalgia, reminiscing on our own past experiences—can provide an essential coping mechanism in times of stress or turmoil. Which we’ve experienced none of in the past year and a half, right?
A study in the American Journal of Psychology found that people who were more prone to nostalgia had overall better coping mechanisms and were more likely to reach out for help and support than people who blocked off the past.
“These memories can fuel the courage to confront our fears, take reasonable risks, and tackle challenges,” said study author Krystine Batcho. “Rather than trapping us in the past, nostalgia can liberate us from adversity by promoting personal growth.”
That’s comforting just to think about. So don’t mind me; I’ll just be over here firing up my old first-generation Tamagotchi once again. It just might help me through these troubled times.
Call for comments: Do you have any old toys or collectibles squirreled away? Did you keep them for sentimental reasons or as a sort of investment? And, heck, what do you think about nostalgic consumerism overall?
7 other things worth your time
Pegasus spy software has been used to bug and track journalists, government officials, and human rights activists worldwide, according to a multi-organization investigation. The malware can bypass passwords and access almost all data on someone’s mobile phone. Officials targeted by the operation reportedly include French President Emmanuel Macron and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. (Reuters; BBC)
Harvey Weinstein was extradited to California this week to face 11 more charges of sexual assault. He’s currently serving 23 years in New York State prison for sexual assault and rape. (Reuters)
The not-so-friendly skies: The TSA has reported a 500% jump in “in-flight disturbances” from 2019 to 2021, including thousands of reports of unruly passengers and 85 assaults on TSA officers. (Reuters)
An Irish gymnast took to TikTok to counter a rumor: Yes, the beds in the Olympic Village are made out of cardboard, but no, it’s not to prevent athletes from having sex. Instead, it seems to simply be classic Japanese design: modular, recyclable, and resource-efficient. (Business Insider)
Peloton or Tron? You decide! The upscale exercise bike company seems to be entering the video game space with a beta program that encourages you to speed down a virtual sci-fi highway. (Gizmodo)
More than 3.3 million Americans died last year, far more than any other year in US history, with COVID-19 accounting for about 11% of those deaths. Overall, US life expectancy fell by a year and a half in 2020, the largest one-year decline since World War II. Among Black Americans and Hispanic Americans, the decline was even worse: three years. (AP)
Oregon’s Bootleg Fire is so severe that it’s creating its own mini-climates, complete with “fire tornadoes”…and the smoke has reached New York City. (CNN)
Thanks for reading. Photo credit: ClipartKey; fair use. Want to see all my mistakes? Click here.
| 64 | 11 |
Pardon me while I sit back here in my recliner and laugh my butt quite off as I read about millennial nostalgia. How sweet it must be to luxuriate in such quaint memories. Last week a few of us senior hens from our high school class of 1964(dare you to do the math without SIRI). Our class was fairly large but only a few of us showed up for lunch and what else? Memories, that’s what. My friend seated to my left had to rely on a walker primarily because we grew up dancing The Twist, made popular by one Chubby Checker. By the time we got into high school, the dance was at its zenith in popularity and my port seat ate spent the better parts of her sophomore and junior years in a cast because she kept throwing her left knee out doing the twist. To no doubt exacerbate an already bad knee, she spent her career as a teacher. Ah, memories. My starboard seatmate spent her working career as a gas-passer(a nurse anesthetist to the uninitiated), saved her money and has spent her retirement traveling-many, many times for weeks in Scotland! I’m soooo jealous 🤢! Another friend was down in her back. A few others were single again and trying to find yet another “new normal”-as if. Most of us though we’re just grateful we had survived just another scare in our lives. With us, some of our nostalgia moments began with the polio epidemic, then ‘Duck and Cover’(supposed to save us from an atomic bomb detonation; I know, silly right?), then The Mickey Mouse Club and Disneyland, then Elvis(🤩), junior high(trauma), 10th grade and my first ❤️(yes, we’re still friends), being able to remember a kajillion phone numbers without a cell phone, the FIRST McDonalds in town, turning 16 and getting our driver’s license, The Beatles of course, turning 18 being all grown up(LMAO at that!)and scattering to the four winds. For all of us at that gathering there was a lot of nostalgia. Some of us had known each other since the first grade, my BFF and I have known each other since we were 13. As best I can tell too, we are every one of us, the “girls” at least, facing whatever may come down the pike with our heads held high and our 18 year old mind’s eye burning bright for whatever challenge may be over the next horizon. Bring it on world!
I still have my ca 1960s Beatles (albeit banged up and rusty) lunchbox from elementary school. Also remember when I asked for a new one (red plaid) because of the teasing I received when stories of various band members' drug use came out.