Nostalgia and Media Use

While nostalgia has historically been conceptualized as a disease akin to depression, modern definitions describe nostalgia as a predominantly positive emotion (with a hint of negative affect) that occurs when individuals reflect about past events from their childhood or youth. Some social psychologists have argued that nostalgic experiences have restorative properties which may decrease a person's negative mood and promote psychological well‐being. Nostalgic content is also quite popular in today's media landscape with a host of entertainment related to audiences' childhood and youth. In response to the increased attention on nostalgic media, some scholars have attempted to link the selection and use of nostalgic content with beneficial outcomes such as well‐being and positive health attitudes. While initial research is promising, this line of study is only in its infancy. Further empirical work is needed to better understand the type of media content that primes nostalgia, why audiences select nostalgic media, and the costs and benefits of consuming nostalgic media content.