Living in the Past: Nostalgia or Escaping Reality?
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If you follow me on Instagram (@jemma7x), you will probably know that I am fascinated with the 1970s. I'm always listening to music from that time, watching films based on that decade, and I just seem to love everything about it. It's gotten to the point where I genuinely believe I was born in the wrong decade. It got me thinking - why am I longing for a time I didn't even live in?
I guess my first thought is that, to me, it seemed like a more 'care-free' time. Of course this is not accurate - I am basing my opinion off social media, films and music. In fact, I have read accounts from those who grew up in the '70s (in the UK) saying it was actually an unpleasant time, largely referring to low unemployment rates and numerous strikes (Morgan, 2017). Despite this, I'm still blinded by the belief that the care-free, chilled 70s years are the right time for me. The best way I can describe it, is that I feel NOSTALGIC for this time.
'Nostalgia' is defined as being "a feeling of pleasure and also slight sadness when you think about things that happened in the past" (The Cambridge Dictionary). This particular definition highlights that it is seen to be based on personal memories. So why do I feel this way for a time I never experienced?
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This, in some ways, may be obvious - the reason why many of us lust over past fashions and listen to past music is because we are unhappy with the fashions and music available to us today. A US psychiatry doctor, Alan Hirsch (1992) provided an alternative definition to 'nostalgia', stating that it is a "a longing for a sanitized impression of the past, what in psychoanalysis is referred to as a screen memory - not a true recreation of the past, but rather a combination of many different memories, all integrated together, and in the process of all negative emotions filtered out." Based on this definition, we can argue that that is why I may not acknowledge the negative parts of the 1970s - I would instead be focussed on the happier memories - or associations - linked with the decade. Like me, it is likely that others have simply attached a positive mental state to that time period.
Hirsch also links nostalgia to mental health. He says "one may speculate that nostalgic desires will increase in the coming decade (which of course, in 2020, is now outdated), since it seems likely that the more dissatisfied we are with the present, the more we idealise the past. Therefore in the hard times ahead, it will be easier to sell nostalgia." Perhaps Hirsch was right. In 2016, Grazia Online posted an article entitled "Why are Millennials the Most Nostalgic Generation Ever?", where they identified how 00s and 90s fashions have become increasingly popular, and how the rise in vinyl sales during a time of Spotify and Apple Music raises questions as to why millennials may be more nostalgic than any other generation.
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They go on to argue that millennials are unable to 'move on' because they are so bombarded with past decades in the media, such as the resurgence of the 70s aesthetic in new Star Wars films, and high street stores, such as Topshop, bringing back 90s fashion trends. However, the wording of articles such as this one tend to make nostalgic feelings seem like a bad thing. After all, the term 'nostalgia' itself was initially considered a disorder, as the term was coined by a 17th century Swiss physician who attributed soldiers' mental health and physical ailments to their longing to return to the life they left behind. It is also known that it was frowned upon to use nostalgia as a form of expression in art or literature, as it was seen to be the opposite of progression and innovation in life.
Is looking to the past really such a bad thing? I often find myself daydreaming about past times, not just about my dream 70s life, but also my childhood and old memories. Obviously, it is in no way harmful to reminisce - we should all be thankful that we had happy enough times to reminisce about!
I asked my boyfriend what he thought about people who dedicate their current lives to a past decade. He explained that he believes its a bad thing, as it is important for us to live in the moment and appreciate the life we have now. I continued to question him as to 'why' exactly it is important to live in the now, to the point where he simply said 'or you won't be happy'.
Overall, we can safely say that 'living in the past' is not a bad thing. However, it is likely that the reason why we do this is because there are elements of our current lives that we unhappy with, so look to times where it may have been 'greener on the other side'. As long as we acknowledge this, and continue to appreciate the life we are living now, then please, go ahead and spin those records! ✿
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References
Grazia (2016). "Why are Millennials the Most Nostalgic Generation Ever?" [online] Written by Spratt, V. <http://graziadaily.co.uk/life/opinion/millennials-nostalgic-generation-ever/> [Accessed 31 March 2020].
Hirsch, A.R. (1992) Nostalgia: A Neuropsychotic Understanding. ACR North American Advances.
Morgan, K. O. (2017). Britain in the Seventies–Our Unfinest Hour?. Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique. French Journal of British Studies, 22(XXII-Hors série).
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