Its 2018, we live in a world with flying cars and highways to the moon. Well, not really but we’re definitely getting there. So why do we, after having access to modern day technological luxuries, still want to go back to the old days?
When it comes to bikes, I absolutely love these new concept bikes that are showcased during auto shows, but if you give me an option between choosing a bike like that and 20-year-old Royal Enfield, I wouldn’t even hesitate to jump on the Enfield and ride into the sunset. Auto companies have been putting out new designs inspired by their older generation bikes because people would just want to own a piece of nostalgia, or maybe they just simply like how it looks.
Old trends in fashion coming back definitely isn’t uncommon. Dad shoes, leather jackets, bell-bottoms, checkered shirts, all of these have had a major comeback this year.
Even video games aren’t far behind in that sense. Games with amazing details and near-to-human characters are available, but I’d still prefer playing a pixelated Pacman game on an arcade machine or play a game of Prince of Persia on a computer and try to make those long jumps without falling and impaling myself.
When it comes to music, an artist like Bruno Mars stepped back in time by wearing shiny suits and dancing under disco balls to songs that remind you of the 80s and 90s. Leon Bridges went back even further to the sound of the 50’s and people absolutely love it. When an artist releases a new album now, they release it on all the streaming websites, but they also issue CD’s, vinyl records and even cassettes. Why would someone want to buy a big vinyl and take all the trouble to take it out its cover and put it on a record player and listen to the album when you could just play it with a single touch on your phone?
So, why do we want to go back? It’s actually very simple. It’s because it makes us happy. A scientific study conducted in 2016 revealed that seeing or holding something nostalgic can trigger a load of positive emotions within your body. You’ll naturally want to relive a good memory from your past, so we find that certain object that reminds us of that time, and interact with that object and relive our memory once again. We grow up way too fast and forget small little things that actually made us really happy. So, go ahead and cue that vinyl record up, or play a game of Pacman, because that’s the only way you can relive your past, until China eventually invents time machines.
