Millennials can’t walk past a TY Beenie Baby, Tamagotchi, hear the opening notes of a Disney VHS or songs from the 90s without feeling an unexpected wave of emotion.

It isn’t simply because we’re nostalgic, it’s because many of us grew up during a period of great change and those memories have become comforting anchors in a modern, unpredictable world.

Millennials were the last generation that experienced childhood before smartphones took over. We played outside until the streetlights came on, built tree houses, rented videos from Blockbuster and argued over whose turn it was on the family computer, and waited an entire week for the next episode of our favourite TV show. We can all remember our parents yelling at us to shut down our Sims game on the computer because we had been playing it obsessively for 6 hours straight. This period of life felt slower and more simple.

Today, our phones buzz constantly and we’re expected to reply instantly, work harder, spend smarter, and somehow keep up with social media trends that change faster than we can learn them. It’s no surprise that millennials often look backwards instead of forwards.

Nostalgia isn’t about wanting to live in the past. It’s about remembering how the past made us feel.

A bowl of Angel Delight or trifle isn’t really about dessert, it’s a memory of sitting at your grandparent’s dining room table. A 90s birthday buffet isn’t just sausage rolls and cocktail sausages. It’s remembering childhood birthday parties at home playing pass-the-parcel and musical chairs.

Even classic fairytales continue to resonate with millennials because they remind us of bedtime stories, disney videos, family traditions and believing that happy endings always arrived.

As an introvert, I think nostalgia offers joy and comfort which is even more valuable. While many people recharge through excitement and constant activity. Introverts often find comfort in familiar routines, cosy evenings, favourite books and traditions that don’t demand anything from us.

A nostalgic film night, baking mince pies at Christmas with my mum, or setting a themed dinner table can feel far more fulfilling than chasing the latest online trend.

This is probably why many of my own creative projects revolve around memory and nostalgia. Whether I’m writing about British party food, designing fairytale tables, or exploring the strange world of MLM culture through humour, they’re all really about preserving moments that mattered.

Memories have an ability to outlast possessions. The newest gadget or smartphone will eventually become obsolete.
Things like fashion trends, algorithms and social media platforms will adapt and change with modern times.

However the feeling of eating jelly and ice cream at a childhood birthday party, watching your favourite childhood cartoons, or helping your mum make buffet food for a family gathering stays with you forever.

The reason why nostalgia has become such a powerful force for millennials is not because we are trying to go backwards. It’s because
we’re simply trying to hold onto the moments that reminded us who we were before life became so noisy and before social media took over. This is something worth celebrating.

Loosely based on the books ‘Staying In is the New Going Out’ ‘British Party Food Through the Decades’ & ‘Introvert Survival Guide’ by Siân Alison

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