For my BCM212 research project, I will investigate why trends from different decades reappear and become particularly popular among young adults, within my research, I am interested in seeing which decades are most popular among BCM 212 students.
So far it is evident from my research that the 90s is the most favoured decade among the BCM 212 students which I have surveyed, as my research progresses I will further question what specifically students find appealing about this decade.
Is it
- Fashion
- Music
- Movies
- Technology
- Or even memories they may have from this decade (if they were alive)
The main purpose of this research topic is to find out the specific reasons for University Students connections to previous decades. Are they just interested in the lifestyle or deeper reasons such as missing a time when they felt life was simpler e.g a time before advanced technology.
I have chosen this topic as it is significantly relevant among university students (late teens – young adults), this is evident through a variety of fashion styles coming back in. Thrift shopping/Op-shopping is an example of this as many clothes from these stores carry fashion trends from decades such as the 80s-90s, many students are choosing to shop here instead of regular shops. Within social media it is particularly evident the popularity of these decades there are many accounts dedicated to tv shows or bands in this era as well as Pinterest images of fashion/technology within these decades. Another example of this is the trend of #only 90s kids will remember (or any other decade), there are a variety of ways people have shown their love for previous decades within the age group of many BCM212 students. Overall this topic is very relevant as a large number of people are interested in previous decades and I believe it to be an important question of why this happens.
This research question is quite a big topic as there may be a variety of reasons for the popularity of a decade, to make my project more achievable I will focus specifically on my result findings from BCM 212 students. Rather than continuing to research other reasons why University students may be interested in other decades. I will focus directly on what Twitter poll results from #BCM212, then research the theories behind these reasonings. As I am trying to find out why people are interested within these decades it is quite achievable to conduct this research through a range of surveys and polls, as the question is not particularly emotional or very personal students will be more willing to provide accurate answers and I will also be more likely to have a larger sample of BCM212 students.
This topic has been studied throughout the world, as trends repeating themselves and connection to decades through nostalgia has happened for quite a long period of time. “The New York Times” reported the popularity of Vinyl records; it describes how the majority of the consumers haven’t ever seen a record player but once they understand how to use it they are “hooked”. This article also provides another example “polaroid cameras” as many people want tangible photos, these products are people due to either familiarity or nostalgia.
A study was conducted in Canada at Mcgill University about nostalgia among students. It found that many students reminisce as they feel that time was a “worry-free paradise”; it may also be seen as a way to cope with homesickness for many students living far from home. This study is relevant to my research as some #BCM212 students may be feeling similar emotions leading to interest or connection to previous decades. The results may be different due to fewer students living on campus compared to Canadian universities however this is a very relevant and relatable study to my research. “The American Scholar” also researched feelings of nostalgia among college students. Within their findings, it was evident students found life to be much simpler and less stressful before college as they did not have to think of the future rather just focus on the present. Within my research, I am interested to find out if BCM212 students resort to feelings of nostalgia due to the pressures of University.
In Pakistan research was conducted about what “triggers and effects of nostalgia among university students”. Triggers that were found to cause feelings of nostalgia included music, fragrance, old photos, old TV shows, weather, long drives, holidays and different flavours. Many of these triggers may occur involuntarily such as the weather though some students may voluntarily choose to reflect on the past for example looking at old photos. Within my research understanding whether BCM212 students voluntarily or involuntarily feel nostalgia will help understand key reasons for the trend of previous decades becoming popular.
Reference List:
Batool, A., Saleem, M., Shafqat, A. and Raza Siddique, A., 2019. EXPLORING TRIGGERS AND EFFECTS OF NOSTALGIA AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. [ebook] Pakistan: Journal of Research & Reviews in Social Sciences Pakistan, pp.344-350. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334049804_EXPLORING_TRIGGERS_AND_EFFECTS_OF_NOSTALGIA_AMONG_UNIVERSITY_STUDENTS [Accessed 15 March 2021].
Bilton, N., 2016. Why Vinyl Records and Other ‘Old’ Technologies Die Hard (Published 2016). [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/style/vinyl-records-books-film-cameras-die-hard.html [Accessed 15 March 2021].
Marantz Cohen, P., 2012. The Nostalgia of the College Student – The American Scholar. [online] The American Scholar. Available at: https://theamericanscholar.org/the-nostalgia-of-the-college-student/ [Accessed 15 March 2021].
Mysliviec, P., 2017. To Remember or Not to Remember: The role of nostalgia in the lives of university students | The McGill Tribune. [online] The McGill Tribune. Available at: http://www.mcgilltribune.com/private/nostalgia-in-university-students-876236/ [Accessed 16 March 2021].
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