What makes it good?
Improves mood.. it simply makes people happy
Why?
We process smell and touch through the amygdala, the emotional seat of the brain. It has been proven that remembering past times improves self-esteem, mood, strengthens social bonds and imbues life with meaning; nostalgia is therefore seen as a natural anti-depressant.
Who finds it good?
Teenagers
Why?
This current generation (personally anyway), have positive associations with early technology, television programmes, films, games etc. Watching films from my childhood, for example, evoke many memories and the same could possible be said for many people of the same age. On the other hand, anyone, of any age can access nostalgia and their memories are not necessarily similar. The answer to this question, therefore, can be.. anyone? Aside from below:
Who wouldn't find it good?
Those with a negative past
Why?
Although nostalgia is defined as a longing for the past, people may have disruptive childhood memories which they do not want to relive. I will need to focus on the psychological benefits and positive associations in more depth.
What is it better than?
Pessimism
Why?
Pessimism is defined as a tendency to look at the worst of things whereas through using nostalgia, you are able to look at the best - the little things in life which you may have forgotten. Familiarity is comforting and is something that nostalgia can achieve.
If your good was a profession, what would it be?
Psychologist
Why?
Psychology is the science of mental processes, a study which is applied to emotion and therefore nostalgia, also. Nostalgia is the process of remembering our past, through our sights, sounds, tastes, places etc.
If your good was a celebrity, who would it be?
Derren Brown
Why?
Derren Brown is an illusionist, mentalist and sceptic. In the majority of his acts, he experiments with how we process information and tends to 'read peoples minds'. Nostalgia is a mental process and something which I could relate to Derren Brown.
If your good was a place, where would it be?
Home
Why?
Home is where the majority of our childhood memories are from - it is the place where we grew up. It is where all our belonging were, where we invited our friends, where we slept, where we socialised, where we ate, where we could relax and so on.
If your good was an event, what would it be?
Vintage fair
Why?
Typically, vintage fairs sell products which are typical of previous decades. Clothing is a useful way of looking at the evolution of our culture - what has changed, what hasn't etc.
If your good was a product, what would it be?
Vinyl records
Why?
Vinyl records are a great case study in proving how we long for the past. For most of the 20th century, vinyl records were the primary format in how people used to listen and share music. However, as the digital age began to emerge, vinyl records left the mainstream. The vinyl record regained popularity by 2008, with nearly 2.9 million units shipped that year, the most in any year since 1998. Since then, the format has slowly increased in popularity with many independent artists opting to distribute their music through vinyl. Despite new and innovative technology, people tend to seek other options - those which we may have forgotten.
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