It’s hard not to feel nostalgic when looking back at these items and experiences. At least for me. Especially the analogue objects that defined an era when the internet wasn’t an all-consuming, indispensable part of daily life. Things like music players or cheap, pirated DVDs, which were sold on every corner in Ukraine when I was a kid because licensed alternatives were scarce and expensive.

But reflecting on the past also makes me wonder about what’s ahead. What everyday essentials we rely on now will disappear in the next 20 years or even turn into sought-after collectibles? Will future generations chase after an iPhone 16 the way mine does 90s camcorders or Japanese film cameras?

Maybe, maybe not. But one thing is certain—nostalgia has a lasting influence.

“Nostalgia is big business,” Christina Goulding, Professor of Marketing at Birmingham Business School, tells Bored Panda. “More people are looking to items from the past for a number of different reasons—see the 1970s electronic gaming revival as an example. For some, they offer a connection to an earlier time and a sense of continuity; for others, they are a reaction against an increasingly digitalized way of living, among many other factors.”

While young people have traditionally been seen as the least likely to feel nostalgic, Goulding’s experience suggests otherwise. Some research even indicates that Gen Z is currently the most nostalgic generation, with Millennials following closely behind.

“I supervised an MSc student’s dissertation which looked at young people’s use of cameras from the 1930s–1970s. For them, these represented a more authentic experience which involved skill (in developing the pictures), anticipation (of the outcome), and aesthetic appreciation and pride in the end product,” said Goulding.

“These consumers reject the instant gratification of digital photography and the technological manipulation of the image. They want the physical and time-consuming engagement with the whole process. So, it does raise questions about assumptions that Gen Z are a homogenous group with a need for immediate gratification.”

What’s interesting is that my reaction—contemplating the future while reflecting on the past or present—is far from unique.

Last year, Christina Goulding introduced the concept of mellostalgia in her research, a term she coined to describe the opposite of nostalgia. While nostalgia is about longing for the past, mellostalgia is about looking forward to the future with anticipation, shaped by experiences in the present. The word comes from the Greek mellon (meaning “future”) and algia (meaning “longing”), capturing a proactive and positive emotion where people intentionally create moments they’ll later look back on fondly.

In her study, Goulding explored mellostalgia by observing and interviewing visitors at Port Isaac, the real-life filming location of the British TV drama Doc Martin, which follows Dr. Martin Ellingham, a grumpy doctor who moves from London to a small Cornish village (fictional Port Wenn) after developing a fear of blood, forcing him to give up surgery. The series presents an idyllic, close-knit community with little crime—a stark contrast to the fast-paced, impersonal nature of city life.

For many visitors, the show’s setting wasn’t just something to admire. It inspired them to imagine their own future experiences. Some saw it as a vision of retirement in a peaceful village, while others sought to create travel memories they could later cherish. In other words, as Goulding puts it, they were “looking forward to looking back.”