This past Tuesday, a couple of friends and I sat around a table in our neighborhood park and colored like we were in kindergarten.
It was all good fun, despite the crayons melting and our papers flying away. However, on my walk home, I couldn’t help but think about how easily my peers get nostalgic for years that really weren’t all that long ago. Granted I was the one who pushed to have the coloring get-together (largely because so many people in my residence hall turned to coloring as a form of stress relief), but I was surprised when my friends agreed to it.
This nostalgic feeling isn’t uncommon among the college-age students of today, however. TeenNick’s programming block “The 90’s Are All That” gave the channel a significant ratings boost, despite the block airing from 12am to 2am. Midnight society, indeed.
But what does this intense appreciation for the 90s mean for the young adults and twentysomethings of today? How can so many people show a desire to relive something so recent? A New York Times article states that this early nostalgia may have been set into place due to the internet, calling the web a “repository of cherished childhood memories.” This nostalgia may have some side effects, however – a Salon article posted this past Monday questions if bringing back these beloved programs may stunt the creativity of a generation.
I guess only time will tell.
GIVE GUTS 