The Nostalgia Economy
by Cholwe Shilukobo · 2 min read
We often think of nostalgia as a quiet emotion. Increasingly, it feels like an economy. This piece reflects on memory, consumer culture and why yesterday has become so easy to sell.
Time is beginning to feel strangely elastic.
Every week, something from the past finds its way back into the present. Digital cameras are back in the hands of twenty-somethings who never grew up loading film. Fashion resurrects silhouettes from decades many of us never experienced. Vinyl records continue to outsell expectations. Even our playlists have become time capsules, inviting us back to “2016 Summer” as though we were already nostalgic for lives we have barely finished living.
Read the rest with a free account.
Three pieces of every issue are open to everyone. Sign up to read the whole Brief, and the archive.
