Take this as your sign to ditch your smartphone for a few hours
If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a million times: Change is inevitable. And yet you still find yourself missing the past on occasion. While spending a snow day working on spreadsheets, you may spot throngs of neighborhood kids trekking through the streets and long for your own childhood. Though this wave of emotion can catch you by surprise, the feeling isn’t all that unusual.
Nostalgia is a psychological coping mechanism that helps regulate our emotions, especially when we’re stressed, says Holly Schiff, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist. “Mentally, we return to a time that feels safer and simpler that has pleasant memories attached,” she says. “Neurologically, nostalgia activates reward pathways that are linked to comfort and connection; it reminds us who we are and where we came from if the present feels unstable, uncertain or rapidly changing.”
And sometimes, as in my case, this nostalgic feeling may even emerge for an era or event that you didn’t experience firsthand.
I love live music, so I make an effort to go to as many concerts and venues as my bank account allows … which means I spend hours in online queues, trying to snag a ticket before they go to the resale market. In the era of scalper bots and dynamic pricing, I often find myself nostalgic for an era when you simply stood outside the ticket office to score a seat—a time I never got to experience as a Gen Zer. To me, waking up at dawn, setting up a folding chair and passing the hours with friendly conversation beats begging my laptop not to crash while waiting for a page to load.
And I’m not the only Gen Zer feeling nostalgic for a bygone era. Ahead, Schiff explains why members of Gen Z are feeling nostalgic for Y2K—and how you, too, can embrace this return to a pre-digital age.
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Hold on—was Gen Z even born in Y2K?
Contrary to what you may assume, some older members of Gen Z (myself included!) were alive in 2000. Pew Research Center defines Gen Z as anyone born between 1997 and 2012. But even though older Gen Zers may have been alive for this time period, we were infants and toddlers, and as a result, we weren’t participants in the cultural trends. The growing obsession with the markers of this era—from low-rise jeans and crop tops to flip phones and digital cameras—means we’re nostalgic for a time we didn’t actively witness.
Such a feeling isn’t atypical. A study of 2,000 U.S. adults conducted by the Archbridge Institute’s Human Flourishing Lab found that 68% of those surveyed felt nostalgic feelings for eras in which they weren’t alive. “A generation can absolutely feel nostalgic for a time they don’t consciously remember because it doesn’t require lived memory; it can be culturally transmitted,” Schiff notes. “For Gen Z, I think Y2K represents a symbolic past that is shaped through media, pop culture archives, older siblings and collective storytelling.”
What’s the main reason Gen Z is nostalgic for the year 2000?
It’s no secret that Gen Z wants to disconnect. Many members of the generation that grew up in the digital age want to revert to a more analog time. A 2026 survey conducted by Talker Research on behalf of ThriftBooks found that 63% of Gen Z respondents said they were making an intentional effort to disconnect digitally and spend less time on screens, the largest share of any generation included in the research. Additionally, 71% of Gen Zers said they were prioritizing “slow living” in the new year.
To some Gen Zers, Y2K represents a recent era in which human-to-human connection was the norm. The year 2000 may seem more optimistic, simple, playful and less digitally saturated than their current lives, Schiff notes. “The appeal says more about current stressors and unmet needs than about the actual decade itself,” she adds. “It reflects what people feel is missing in the present.”
It’s clear that Gen Z’s fraught relationship with their smartphones may be contributing to this sentiment. BePresent’s 2024 digital wellness report found that 83% of Gen Zers say they have an unhealthy relationship with their phone. And that’s not the only piece of research raising red flags. A systematic review published in the International Journal of Adolescence and Youth found a correlation between social media use and mental health issues.
Is this a new phenomenon?
As the Human Flourishing Lab report notes, none of this is new. The term nostalgia has roots that stretch back to 1688, when it was used to describe a sort of homesickness. In many ways, Gen Z’s longing for a time they didn’t experience echoes previous generations’ idealization of “simpler times.”
But here’s where things differ for the digital-first generation: Access to the past is at their fingertips. Countless streaming services hold libraries of TV shows and movies from the early aughts. Memes that defined Millennials aren’t in-jokes; they’re easily accessible online. Thanks to the internet, Gen Zers are connected to the past in ways previous generations weren’t.
What does Gen Z love about the pre-digital era, in particular?
The fashion, the aesthetics and, of course, the lack of smartphones are all factors that make the pre-digital era particularly attractive to Gen Z. In today’s world, there’s pressure to be constantly online. Even while doing another activity, such as walking or standing in line, our natural tendency is to reach for our smartphones. For many Gen Zers, it can feel like an impulse—not an active choice. Life in the 1990s and 2000s stands in stark contrast to this.
So what is it about the pre-digital age that sparks nostalgia for Gen Zers? Here’s what often drives their longing for the past:
- More authenticity: Unlike today, curated social media pages weren’t the norm in the 2000s. We saw our friends and strangers as they were, not the best selves they presented to the entire world.
- Avoiding life under a microscope: Today, it feels as though every public (and private) blunder is documented. Whether friends, family or strangers on the street, everyone has a camera. And everyone is ready to record. That wasn’t the case in the past, and it gave previous generations a chance to take risks and learn from mistakes.
- Simpler time: In a world fixated on the latest social media craze, more Gen Zers are envious of a time that wasn’t dominated by microtrends.
- Less-polished aesthetics: Grainy cellphone photos and disposable cameras were the norm at the turn of the century. Tired of the picture-perfect aesthetic, Gen Zers are returning to these throwback products.
- Playful fashion: Bright colors and funky patterns dominated the 2000s. For those who want to embrace their creativity, the Y2K style is a welcome break from an all-black ensemble.
So is Gen Z ditching their devices?
Not exactly. But even though Gen Zers are still holding onto their smartphones, tablets and laptops, there are a number of ways they’re actively working to disconnect more in their day-to-day lives, from testing out a partial digital detox to embracing analog activities. Schiff herself is a fan of these changes.
“I think being constantly plugged in and connected creates chronic cognitive overload, heightened social comparison and difficulty experiencing boredom,” she says. “Many of my Gen Z patients describe feeling mentally ‘on’ all the time. There is no separation or ability to fully unplug. We are available all the time, through many different means and platforms. It can be exhausting that anyone can reach you at any hour, and notifications continue to flood in.”
Ultimately, stepping away from your device—or muting it for a period of time—can help ease some of these anxieties.
How can people embrace the Y2K vibe?
Regardless of whether you’re a Gen Zer, there are multiple ways to channel the norms of the 2000s that we’ve grown nostalgic for. Ahead, we break down some of our favorite ways to pretend as though you’re living through Y2K.
Try a digital detox
One of the defining elements of the 2000s? A lack of smartphones. (Apple didn’t launch the iPhone until 2007.) To embrace the culture of the early aughts, consider a partial or total digital detox. While the latter may be difficult, test out the former by deleting your social media apps for a week—or setting time limits on your device.
Or take a cue from Gen Z: Some members of this generation are turning to new products that aim to curb doomscrolling, including Brick, a small square that blocks certain apps, and The BoringPhone, a minimalist smartphone that includes only the most essential features, like texting and calling.
Embrace nostalgic travel
Sometimes, to transport yourself to another era, you need a change of scenery. Consider what you were doing in the early 2000s, and use that as inspiration for your travels. Whether you attempt to relive the never-ending nights of your teens or the childlike wonder you experienced when you first walked into Rainforest Cafe, a “kidulting trip” can take you back to the wonders of your pre-adult years.
Start knitting or crocheting
Some of the biggest fashion trends from Y2K embraced a DIY aesthetic. Think: crocheted tops, beaded bags and knit beanies. If you’re searching for a way to stay off your phone and channel a 2000s-inspired look, consider learning a craft.
In the past few months, interest in “grandma activities” like crocheting and knitting by younger adults has grown on platforms like TikTok. Dayna Isom Johnson, a trend expert for Etsy, told Today that searches for “beginner needlepoint items” were up 208% from last year, and searches for “crochet sweaters” were up 162% during that same period.
Translation: Now is the time to stash your phone in a drawer, turn on your go-to Millennial TV show and make like Nana.
Listen to a 2000s album
In the era before music streaming, listening to a CD was the norm. To embrace this pre-digital age, Schiff recommends finding time to enjoy a full album—whether it’s an old favorite you find in the back of your (or your parents’) closet or a new-to-you one that you order off eBay. For her, it’s ultimately about living in the moment and taking it all in. “We aren’t trying to reject technology but create pockets of being present, reclaim moments where our attention isn’t constantly being pulled outward by our smartphones and notifications,” Schiff says.
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Sources:
- Holly Schiff, PsyD, licensed clinical psychologist; email interview, Jan. 26, 2026
- Pew Research Center: “Defining generations: Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins”
- The Archbridge Institute: “Historical Nostalgia In Modern America: Exploring Its Prevalence, Appeal, and Psychological Utility”
- Talker Research: “Survey reveals intentional digital disconnection growing among Americans”
- BePresent: “BePresent 2024 Digital Wellness Report”
- International Journal of Adolescence and Youth: “A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents”
- Merriam-Webster: “Nostalgia”
- Today: “Say Bye to Doomscrolling, Experts Say These Grandma Hobbies and Crafts Are Trending”
