Nostalgia Culture Is Killing Creativity
Whenever I scroll to the recommended section of a streaming platform, I hope to find hidden gems I’ve never seen before. Yet, sequels and spin-offs of well-loved IPs (intellectual properties) always make up the majority of those recommendations. Nostalgia culture, defined by feelings of sentimental yearning for the past, has seemingly taken over both the entertainment scene and our day-to-day lives. It’s seen in Disney’s numerous live-action remakes, such as Netflix’s recent announcement of a Victorious spin-off, and HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV show. It seems like every new major show or movie that’s announced is simply an old story repackaged into something new. A similar phenomenon is present on social media, where recycled fashion trends from past years, without fail, make their comeback every couple of months.
When looking at Disney’s recent releases, it quickly becomes noticeable how most of them are live-action remakes, sequels, or additions to existing series. This rise in remakes is likely due to producers’ decisions to recycle familiar stories, which also aligns with the popular belief that using well-known IPs is a safer financial move than introducing new ones. Those who work in the entertainment industry are aware that audiences are drawn to what they’re already familiar with, and they take advantage of that knowledge by pumping out remake after remake. However, these projects never achieve the same popularity as the original media they’re based off of. The old narratives feel worn out to audiences, and without that spark of originality that made the originals successful, they fall completely flat.
In comparison, Kpop Demon Hunters, produced by Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix, became a huge success right after its release. It held the platform’s number one spot for weeks, and its soundtrack topped every chart. On social media, I couldn’t go one scroll without hearing a song from it or seeing someone perform the matching choreography. The film succeeded by bringing something entirely new and unique to the scene, rather than relying on nostalgia like so many other films do.
Like Hollywood, the fashion side of social media faces a similar problem in regards to nostalgia culture. Every month, a style or clothing item from decades before 2025 reappears and becomes the newest trend. These trends may be rebranded as something modern and fresh, but they’re actually just remnants of the past. Whether the clothing is branded as “Y2K” or “Tumblr-core”, the fact remains that they’re nothing we haven’t seen before. While there’s little wrong with enjoying older styles, our generation’s tendency to repackage them into “new” trends shows our inability to create original styles that define the current era.
Although nostalgia is a source of comfort and inspiration for many, it tends to limit creativity and hold individuals back from reaching their full potential. Instead of trying to recreate the past, society should work with it to create new and exciting innovations. Trying to reproduce nostalgia only yields bland results, as seen by Disney’s recent flops and the surge of stale, repackaged fashion trends. Therefore, people shouldn’t remain stuck in the past, and instead, they should feel confident moving towards the future. Nostalgia may be the easy answer, but it definitely isn’t the correct one.