I’ve been noticing a recurring theme lately: people are especially nostalgic for the 90s and early 2000s. We miss how simple life was without our phones constantly available to distract us—how much easier and more special it was to connect with people because there wasn’t 24/7 access to them. We didn’t have laptops and streaming services to pull everything up at our beck and call. Everything was filled with color, and people seemed happier.

I think the push of AI, along with the burnout of constantly being on our phones, has us wishing to go back to when technology wasn’t as developed. I’ve noticed a trend on my TikTok: people wanting to go back to having home phones. They desperately want off their cell phones. Others are talking about getting family computers again to keep their kids off tablets and give them something that has a bit more oversight. I think this is especially coming from younger parents.

These younger generations maybe didn’t have technology or the internet in their early childhoods, but picked it up around middle school. Our parents didn’t know too much about the internet, but we all remember how wild it was back then—and how they didn’t know how to monitor it. Looking back, we definitely didn’t need to have that much unfiltered access to the internet.

Now we’re older, and some of us are starting to have children. We just know we don’t want our kids to have that kind of access or exposure to the internet that we did. We’re burnt out on technology—the internet, all of it. We want our kids to be bored enough to go play outside and create worlds using their imaginations.

I don’t have kids myself, but I’ve been seeing so many young parents on TikTok sharing this sentiment. We all want to go back to before social media took over and kept us distracted. I know I want to go back to a home phone when I move—because why not? Being off our phones means our brains actually have a chance to get bored. We need to be bored again.

Being bored means letting our brains get curious again—exploring creativity and new ideas. It yearns to learn more. Maybe that means picking up books or new hobbies you wouldn’t have before because you were too distracted by your phone. I’m not lecturing anyone; I’m guilty too. I’m addicted to my phone, and I also yearn to just get off of it. Easier said than done, I’m finding.

I am so tired of my phone. I’m exhausted with myself that the first thing I do when my brain experiences even a modicum of boredom is pick it up and just scroll. The endless scrolling—I’m sick of myself. But one thing that scrolling has shown me is that I’m not alone. Turns out, a lot of us are sick and tired of it. We’re tired of the internet, tired of the apps and distractions. And I’ll speak for myself when I say I want nothing to do with AI. I know not everyone feels that way, but the rapid development of AI puts me at unease—it makes me long for when technology was simple. When everyone had flip phones, so all you could do was call or send short texts. I even miss digital or disposable cameras—but getting film developed is expensive now. Why?

Could it be possible that society might be going through a bit of a reset? Maybe we just badly want to go back to being bored. I’m not saying everyone feels this way—some people are excited about new technology and where it’s headed—but I’m speaking for the group of people I’ve been seeing who want to go back in time. TVs with VHS or DVD players are making a comeback. People are going to thrift shops to buy older TVs to have “kitchen TVs” again while they cook.

I’m honestly loving all of it. If I weren’t moving soon, I’d be jumping on board myself. I love the idea of getting a kitchen TV again that only plays DVDs or VHS tapes. I’ve even seen CD players making a comeback. We all know record players came back—but now it’s time for the CD player. I’m loving all of it.

Now that the holidays are approaching, everyone seems to be moving away from the modern white-light Christmas tree with clean ornaments toward the multi-colored light trees with garland and that “messy,” nostalgic 90s look. Again, I’m not speaking for everyone, but the group I’ve been seeing shows this yearning—and I include myself in that group.

I think we’re all tired of being beige. We want color back in our lives. I’ve seen it in home remodels—people ripping up carpets to bring back the beautiful wood floors underneath, stripping white paint off door frames to restore the natural wood trim, and bringing wallpaper back. We just want color again. I say this as someone who loves color and could never really get into the modern black-and-white décor style. There’s nothing wrong with that style, of course—people should do whatever they love.

I guess my question is, why do you think we’re seeing this uptick in people wanting to go back? The people getting house phones and kitchen TVs—why are we doing this?

I’d love to know your thoughts.

Curiously,
–te

That seemed to work for the generations before us, right? They worked hard, bought homes, and called it a day. They lived and breathed their jobs, and that drive seemed to come easily — at least from the outside looking in. I grew up watching my parents, who owned their own pool-cleaning business, work tirelessly. Were they happy? No, they were miserable most days, but at the end of it all, they would still rather work for themselves than anyone else. When I was younger, I didn’t really understand that. But now that I’m older, I get it a lot more. There’s a certain kind of freedom in being tired from building something that’s yours.

Boomers often look at younger generations as lazy or unmotivated. Even my Millennial siblings have said similar things about Gen Z — that we just don’t want to work.

But what’s the reality?

I’d argue Gen Z is the first generation to look at the whole “work-til-you-die” culture and say, “Why the hell are we doing this?” Many of us are working multiple jobs, and most can’t even afford to move out of our parents’ homes.

We’re watching house prices and the cost of living skyrocket. We’re working for companies that don’t care about us and want to control every aspect of our lives. We wake up, stare at a screen, do mindless tasks that make someone else rich, and barely scrape by ourselves. It’s soulless.

And I’m not just talking about others — this is exactly how I feel every day at my job. I’ve thought about it a lot, and it’s depressing. On TikTok, I see people — Gen Z and even older Millennials — saying the same thing: this can’t be it.

One TikTok that broke my heart was of a young man, almost in tears, saying he didn’t want to live like this anymore — waking up, staring at a screen, going to bed, and doing it all over again. He said, “I just want to go outside, be in the mountains, see a squirrel.” And I thought, 'Why are we living like this?'

We’re meant to explore, learn, and grow. Instead, we’re trapped in cubicles working for companies that would replace us tomorrow without a second thought. They demand loyalty, yet refuse to give it.

Now, I know not everyone feels this way — some people genuinely love their jobs, and that’s great — but I feel like that’s getting rarer. We give so much of our time and still can’t afford groceries or a home. We even have to earn our own personal time off. That one really gets me — how is my rest something I have to earn?

I haven’t been in the corporate world that long — just about 3.5 years at the same company I joined right out of college. But even a year in, I remember thinking, “This isn’t it.” Maybe that’s a me problem, or maybe it’s the company — but how are you supposed to leave? The job market isn’t kind, and I ask myself, am I really going to jump from one corporate job to another when I don’t even like what I’m doing?

Work is work, sure, but is this really it?

I’m seeing more people my age feeling the same way. Remote work helps a little — you get a bit more freedom — but now companies want everyone back in the office. For what? So we can sit under harsh fluorescent lights for eight hours straight?

The burnout is real. I feel it myself. I’ve prayed to God for help and movement because I know this isn’t sustainable. I don’t want to work for someone else forever. I want freedom. I want to build something that feels like mine — but how?

I see others my age realizing the same thing. We’re tired of living this way. We don’t want to be slaves to jobs that drain the life out of us. It’s not natural, and it’s not human.

So what’s the solution? Honestly, I don’t know yet. I’m still figuring that out. What I do know is that no one’s going to save me but me. If I want freedom, I have to build it myself. For now, I’m learning patience — that’s the theme God seems to have me sitting in right now.

I see people online say they feel the same way. They’re tired. But I really believe there’s light at the end of the tunnel. As our generation gets older, we’ll become the leaders — and maybe we’ll fix what’s broken.

Some companies already get it right — offering things like unlimited PTO and actually acknowledging that life exists outside of work. We’re realizing a college degree doesn’t guarantee happiness — and that’s okay.

So if you’re feeling burnt out, lost, or hopeless, please know you’re not alone. This is just a season. I truly believe we’re waking up to this toxic cycle and that we will change it.

It won’t happen overnight, but we can do this. Don’t be hopeless. Be hopeful. You never know when your life might change for the better.

Hang in there,
– te

I know there’s been a lot of change happening here lately — but that’s not always a bad thing. I’m introducing something new called Keepsake Thoughts!

So, what is it?

Keepsake Thoughts will be a collection of personal journal-style essays that I’ll post occasionally on Sundays. Sometimes certain subjects just sit in my mind, and writing helps me make sense of them — maybe you’ve felt that way too.

If you’re interested in those reflections, I’d love for you to subscribe and read along. If not, you can always stick around for Curious Keepsake, the book club. Either way, I’m really glad you’re here.

Warmly,
–te