In a world designed to make everything faster, more convenient and more connected, an interesting countertrend is emerging. Gen Z is embracing analogue hobbies, vintage culture and in-person communities. What looks like nostalgia for the past may actually be a response to what our digital-first lives are missing.
Why Is Gen Z Nostalgic for a Past It Never Experienced?
Film cameras. Vinyl records. Knitting circles. Handwritten letters. Across culture, fashion and leisure, the past is finding a new audience. But something interesting is happening. Many of the people embracing these traditions never experienced the eras they represent.
Research from the Archbridge Institute's Human Flourishing Lab found that 68% of American Gen Z respondents feel nostalgic for periods before their lifetime, while 73% are drawn to media, styles, hobbies and traditions from earlier generations. Researchers describe this as historical nostalgia: an emotional attachment to a past we never personally experienced.
Psychologist Clay Routledge, whose research is explored in Big Think and Deseret News, suggests that nostalgia can help people navigate uncertainty, regain a sense of control and strengthen their motivation to connect with others. This raises an interesting question. Are we really nostalgic for the past, or for something we feel we've lost along the way?
Are We Nostalgic for Old Hobbies or a Different Way of Life?
The revival of so-called granny hobbies, including knitting, crocheting, sewing and pottery, has become a visible expression of the wider nostalgia trend. But why are activities associated with previous generations resonating with digital natives?
Knitting offers the satisfaction of creating something tangible. Film photography brings intention to a culture of endless images. Handwritten letters require a level of attention that instant messaging rarely demands. These activities share something important. They encourage us to slow down, engage with the physical world and experience progress beyond a screen.
Perhaps we're not nostalgic for the hobbies themselves, but for the way of life they represent. A life where time feels less fragmented. Where activities have a beginning and an end. Where connection happens through shared experiences rather than constant availability.
The appeal may be less about recreating the past and more about reclaiming the things that modern life has made harder to access.
How Is Nostalgia Connected to the Rise of IRL Communities?
Alongside the nostalgia revival, another cultural movement is gaining momentum: the growing appetite for meeting in real life. Run clubs, supper clubs, craft workshops and community events are becoming increasingly visible ways for people to build relationships around shared interests. According to Strava's 2025 Year in Sport report, running clubs on its platform grew 3.5-fold, while club-organised events increased 1.5-fold year-on-year. What connects these activities isn't necessarily nostalgia in the traditional sense.
It's the experience of doing something together. A running club creates belonging through shared effort. A knitting circle offers conversation without the pressure of constant entertainment. A supper club transforms an ordinary meal into an opportunity for meaningful social interaction.
These experiences recreate something that was once more naturally embedded in everyday life: regular opportunities to connect through participation. Research into the psychology of nostalgia suggests that remembering meaningful relationships can motivate us to seek new ones. Seen through this lens, the rise of IRL communities may represent more than a passing social trend. It may reflect a broader desire to rebuild the rituals of human connection. Perhaps we're not nostalgic for the past itself, but for the kind of connection we believe the past made possible.
Is Nostalgia a Reaction to a Digital-First World?
For years, the direction of modern life has been clear: more convenience, more connectivity and more experiences moving online. We shop digitally, maintain friendships through social media, work remotely and increasingly discover the world through algorithms. Technology has made life more accessible and connected. But has something been lost along the way? The growing interest in analogue hobbies, traditional activities and in-person communities could represent a cultural reaction to years of digital acceleration.
Consider the contrast. In a world of instant messaging, handwritten letters feel personal. When entertainment is available on demand, creating something by hand feels rewarding. And in a culture of constant online interaction, simply spending time together can feel increasingly valuable. Perhaps the things that once seemed ordinary are becoming desirable precisely because they're no longer central to how we live.
This doesn't necessarily mean consumers want less technology. In fact, many of today's IRL communities are discovered and organised through digital platforms. Instead, we may be seeing a shift in what people want technology to enable. Rather than replacing physical experiences, digital platforms can become a gateway to them. And while it's difficult to attribute the analogue revival to digital fatigue alone, the contrast reveals an important tension in modern consumer behaviour.
As digital convenience becomes increasingly standard, experiences that require time, physical presence and human interaction may become more valuable. For brands, this creates an interesting question: could the very things technology has made less necessary become some of the most powerful sources of differentiation?
What Does the Nostalgia Trend Mean for Brands?
For brands, nostalgia has long been an effective way to create emotional connections. Kantar's analysis of more than 250,000 advertisements found that fewer than 3% featured nostalgic elements. Yet advertisements using nostalgia scored 15 points higher on enjoyability and nine points higher on emotional connection.
But nostalgia marketing also comes with a challenge. Kantar found that advertisements featuring nostalgic elements scored 13 points lower on communicating something new, highlighting the importance of balancing familiarity with relevance. The bigger opportunity, however, may extend beyond nostalgia marketing altogether. What if brands stopped simply recreating the aesthetics of the past and started responding to the needs behind our nostalgia?
For hospitality brands, this could mean creating places where community becomes part of the experience. For retailers, it could mean making discovery, conversation and human interaction central to the customer journey. For consumer brands, it could mean creating opportunities to participate, learn and connect rather than simply consume. The distinction matters.
Nostalgic imagery may capture attention. But experiences that respond to underlying needs for belonging, authenticity and control have the potential to build deeper, more lasting relationships. And importantly, this opportunity isn't limited to heritage brands. A brand doesn't need decades of history to create meaningful connections. It needs to understand what its customers value and find ways to deliver it.
The strongest brands won't necessarily be those that look backwards most convincingly. They'll be those that recognise what consumers are trying to bring forward. Because the opportunity isn't to bring back yesterday. It's to build something more meaningful for tomorrow.
Why is Gen Z interested in nostalgia?
Gen Z's interest in nostalgia may reflect a desire for comfort, control and meaningful connection in an increasingly digital world. Research into historical nostalgia shows that younger consumers can feel attached to past eras they never personally experienced.
What are granny hobbies, and why are they trending?
Granny hobbies are traditional activities such as knitting, crocheting, sewing and pottery. Their appeal may reflect growing interest in creativity, tangible achievements, slower living and offline experiences.
Why are IRL communities becoming more popular?
IRL communities offer opportunities to build relationships through shared activities and face-to-face interaction. Growth in run clubs and other interest-based gatherings suggests that people are seeking ways to complement digital interaction with physical connection.
Is nostalgia a reaction to digital fatigue?
Digital fatigue may be one contributing factor, but nostalgia also relates to identity, belonging and the desire for control. The renewed appeal of analogue experiences does not necessarily mean consumers are rejecting technology.
How can brands use nostalgia to build stronger connections?
Brands can use nostalgia through heritage, storytelling and familiar cultural references. But a more meaningful strategy considers the underlying consumer needs driving the trend, creating relevant experiences that encourage emotional connection and belonging.
