The Gilded Cage: Why Gen Z’s Favorite Escape is the Era that Looks Most Like Now

Excerpt:

Survey research confirms this isn’t a marginal phenomenon. A nationally representative survey of just over 2,000 U.S. adults conducted by the Human Flourishing Lab found that 68% of Gen Z adults report feeling nostalgic for eras before their lifetime, 73% say they’re drawn to media or styles from those periods; and roughly two-thirds say exploring pre-lived eras helps them cope with stress or anxiety about the future. Separate polling shows Gen Z ranks as the generation most likely to say they’d rather think about the past than the future, with researchers linking this to disrupted early development, wealth inequality, and an unrelenting feed of negative information. The anemoia is documented, widespread, and functionally economic—as much a psychological symptom of the affordability and mobility gap between generations as a fashion sensibility.

Read the full article at Fortune.