2020 nostalgia
The revival of 2020 trends: "We were cringe but we were free."
Nostalgia is extremely prevalent in online spaces, especially TikTok, in the form of aesthetics. As of late, there’s been a resurgence of 2020 trends and nostalgia on my feed. People who used to call their 2020 phases cringe now reminisce on the fashion, fandom spaces, aesthetics, and overall essence of the time.
Our obsession with nostalgia
Trend revivals occur every generation; from the “Y2K” trend to the newer obsession with 2015, people continue to revert back to old styles, music, and culture. Nostalgia provides a sense of comfort and a way to go back to simpler times or experience cultural waves that you were too young to partake in.
Why 2020?
The year 2020 evokes a special sense of nostalgia for a few reasons. Many of us look back on quarantine and how much our lives changed at the time, feeling as if time has transpired differently since or like we got stuck at the age we were then. Most people who took part in the trends at the time are now nearly adults and look back on their earlier teenage years when everything seemed a lot more simple.
Another factor is the vast difference between online spaces and trends then compared to now. The 2020 essence was all about expressing oneself with no constraints. From the “indie kid” aesthetic to alternative fashion and makeup styles being widely accepted and normalized to many progressive political movements and ideologies being widespread, such as the rise of the body positivity movement and the BLM movement. No one worried about being labeled as cringe since most people became much more open-minded at the time, and we were free to explore our styles and identities from the comfort and safety of our homes.
As of today, this mindset has shifted in the opposite direction; 2000s skinny is back, celebrities are all taking ozempic, cringe culture is at an all-time high, and far-right political ideologies are being promoted to young people. All of the trends follow the same pattern. Everyone wants to dress elegantly and “old money,” to tap into their “feminine energy” and partake in patriarchal gender norms labelled as something else (“I’m just a girl,” “girl math,” “how to be a high-value woman”). Individuality is looked down upon again, and we must criticize the past version of ourselves who explored different styles.
People long for the feeling of freedom and acceptance rather than judgment. It was inevitable for some to become exhausted due to the pressure of keeping up with what’s new and constantly having to adjust to microtrends and what everyone else is doing.
Is this just another trend?
Over the past few days, there’s been a rise of nostalgic videos or compilations of old trends, but there’s been nothing original added to it so far, just nostalgic compilations, comments, or sounds from 2020, as well as a surge of old anime profile pictures.
Perhaps the 2020 revival, just like the attempt at a 2015 revival, will not persevere or reach the mainstream, but nonetheless, I do believe that within the second half of the decade we will see trends and cultural currents with similar values to those of 2020, especially in online spaces.
