The poll found that 47% of young adults would opt for a past era. Among Gen Z adults who would live in the past, the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s are especially popular, with about a third choosing a time less than 50 years ago. Demographic differences emerged: 33% of young Black adults would want to live in the past, compared to 52% of young white adults and 47% of young Hispanic adults.
According to NBC News, Gen Z adults want to live in the past due to discomfort with technology and constant internet connection. According to The Independent - Main, Ben Isaacs described being drawn to the 1990s for its lack of phones and more personal experience, while Skyler Barnett noted the overwhelming presence of the internet and its distractions. Psychologist Clay Routledge told The Independent - Main that when there are many disruptions—political divisiveness, worries about AI or other societal changes—people become more nostalgic for the past to cope with their concerns.
I'd specifically want to go back to the 1990s, even though I wasn't actually alive to live through it. I was drawn to an era with 'a lack of phones, more personal experience, but also still some of the ease of modern technology.'
The sample size and margin of error for the poll have not been disclosed, and it remains unclear how this sentiment compares to older generations or what specific aspects of the past beyond technology attract Gen Z.
The presence of smartphones 'draws away from people’s ability to just look at each other, have a conversation, and exist outside of the realm of the phone and what happens on your phone.'
There’s so, so much internet nowadays and so much just bullcrap that goes along with, you know, internet. And these kids today, they got so much stuff going through their heads that’s just not relevant to the outside world.
When there’s a lot of disruptions — political divisiveness, or, you know, worries about AI or other kinds of societal, technological or social, cultural changes — people tend to become more nostalgic for the past to help them with the things that they’re worried about.