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Why do we feel nostalgia? - Clay Routledge

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Nostalgia was once considered an illness confined to specific groups of people. Today, people all over the world report experiencing and enjoying nostalgia. But how does nostalgia work? And is it healthy? Clay Routledge details the way our understanding of nostalgia has changed since the term was first coined in the late 17th century.

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Clay Routledge
  • Director Anton Bogaty
  • Animator Anton Bogaty
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Do you like listening to the music you loved when you were younger or enjoy watching those old television shows that you grew up with? Does a certain smell bring back memories of your childhood? What is it about nostalgia that is so attractive to people? This article: The Rehabilitation of An Old Emotion and find out more. Is it healthy to feel nostalgic? This article just might answer that question: Nostalgia is Good Medicine.

What Is Nostalgia Good For? Quite a Bit, Research Shows discusses the new scientific research that emphasizes that being nostalgic can help alleviate loneliness, depression and anxiety. Neural Nostalgia discusses how revisiting the music we may have listened to as teenagers could actually help us emotionally.

Finally, take a look at the THE SCIENCE OF NOSTALGIA and Why Do I Get Nostalgic? Here you can learn more about how being “a bit nostalgic” may be actually a beneficial force.
TED-Ed
Lesson Creator
New York, NY
How might the growth in popularity of social media and access to all forms of media (e.g., old music, movies, digital photo sharing) more broadly influence how people experience and share nostalgic memories?
11/01/2016
Avatar for 이 승찬
이 승찬 • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Nostalgic memories are often seem.

11/21/2016
Avatar for Sorawat Siangpipop
Sorawat Siangpipop • COMPLETED LESSON

It seems to me that the old medias, which is widely broadcasted in present, are stimulating our deeply memorable memory. And also, the related-situation, either the inferior or superior one, on that time is coincidentally come along with.

11/22/2016
Avatar for 21620896 박은서
21620896 박은서 • COMPLETED LESSON

they have their old things that they can memorize thier youth

11/22/2016
Avatar for Sarah Mabanglo
Sarah Mabanglo • COMPLETED LESSON

Access to these things through social media gives them the ability to view such wherever and whenever they want. Maybe someone could be going through a tough moment in their life, so they can play old music to take them back to their childhood and remember or play happy music that brings back good memories.

11/24/2016
Avatar for Alex Caetano
Alex Caetano • LESSON IN PROGRESS

So that we are always in contact with our memories

01/18/2017
Avatar for Patricia Barcelona
Patricia Barcelona • COMPLETED LESSON

These memories are easily accessible. It increases the chance of revisiting "the old times" and feeling nostalgic.

03/01/2017
Avatar for Majo Bueno
Majo Bueno • COMPLETED LESSON

By sharing a bit of their past along with a song or movie. It will show how they experienced that same time.. Like seeing past through someone else's eyes..

03/27/2017
Avatar for Rachel Wood
Rachel Wood • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Frequency engaging in nostalgia.if excessive might effect living and enjoying present and making plans for future. Also too much nostalgia if compared to present and judged against can bring on depression.

05/30/2017
Avatar for Rubi Esmeralda Ramirez
Rubi Esmeralda Ramirez • COMPLETED LESSON

Always using memories, maybe things of past, things that did good at that moment, day, week, weekend, month, year or cemtury... with a meaning special like a parent, place, flavor, odor, texture an so on, all it depends of each person.

09/28/2017
Avatar for Gabriela Atamaint
Gabriela Atamaint • COMPLETED LESSON

I think that people always are influenced for their memories. And it is importand sometimes.

11/04/2017
Avatar for jason Keape
jason Keape • COMPLETED LESSON

My family moved around a lot when I was growing up. Usually we moved far enough that I was unable to visit old neighborhoods or keep in touch with friends. I often have described my memories of those locations as "snapshots." My memories were of specific friend groups and fun things we did together. I was in my mid 30's when Facebook hit the scene and at first I felt excited and nostalgic finding old childhood friends but that quickly ended. Almost none were still friends with any other old friends and almost none remembered any shared fun times in much detail. I discovered that I was always the "kid that moved away" and they had gone on with their lives. I still think back to some of the fun times. I'm sure I've also been a big disappointment to other people I barely remember that have enthusiastically friended me. I guess nostalgic memories don't always have to be shared...

01/12/2018
Avatar for Michelle Kuang
Michelle Kuang • COMPLETED LESSON

I have witnessed the start of computer, internet and social media; I used to watched black and white television and listened to radio; I once had a walkman and bought myself a minidisc player; gave a MP3 player to my daughter as a gift; now every other year I have to update everyone's smartphone in the family. I left my hometown at the age of 18 and since then I have kept moving from place to place. I meet and make friends with people from all over the world. My nostalgia memories about my families and my friends haven't stopped growing for one day. Through the magic social medias, I am connected with the families and friends everywhere in world. We talk about the moments we have in past beyond time, distance or space. Moreover, the easy accessible digitalized movies, music and photos enables people who don't know each other to share a nostalgia moment beyond language, culture, religion or custom. I think today having a nostalgia moment is part of our daily life.

03/29/2018
Avatar for miles mazik
miles mazik • COMPLETED LESSON

You can share memories with picture and social media.

09/30/2018
Avatar for samantha williams
samantha williams • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think that because social media connects everyone from all over the world, that if someone does have a specific thing that brings them a flood of nostalgia they can relate to another person who has that same feeling for that one thing. I think it's great and can allow many different people from many different cultures and regions to connect on a simple but very emotional level.

09/30/2018
Avatar for Hannah Jacobs
Hannah Jacobs • LESSON IN PROGRESS

When you experience seeing old photos, movies, or music you get a sense of happiness because you remember what you were doing that exact minute of the photo, or who you were with the first time you saw that movie or heard that song. By growing this popularity it may bring back happiness in people.

09/30/2018
Avatar for Anthony Ptaszek
Anthony Ptaszek • COMPLETED LESSON

Social Media will make nostalgic moments less "nostalgic" since it is online, and will not go anywhere overnight usually. It just isn't as special as experiencing something first hand and having the satisfaction of living through the event.

09/30/2018
Avatar for Lindsey Byhanna
Lindsey Byhanna • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I thin social media makes it easier to experience nostalgia as "throwback" posts are very common and an get you thinking of older times and experience those feelings of nostalgia.

09/30/2018
Avatar for Sydney Schumacher
Sydney Schumacher • COMPLETED LESSON

I believe that social media provides a great opportunity to expand how people relive nostalgic memories. Social media is a way for people to connect with old friends that they may have not had the resources to contact them. It is also a way for people to share their memories, with the hopes of stimulating nostalgia in others who also have that memory.

09/30/2018
Avatar for Alexis Erdmam
Alexis Erdmam • COMPLETED LESSON

It depends on what social media platform they are on. They might feel different feelings and feel a different connection to different platforms. If they are going through their social media platforms they might play a song from their childhood so they could feel/remember something while reading or looking at the post.

09/30/2018
Avatar for Mackenzie Drake
Mackenzie Drake • COMPLETED LESSON

For example, if you want to listen to music from your childhood that triggers nostalgic emotions, it is easily accessible on social media and can be shared with others.

09/30/2018
Avatar for haley salvini
haley salvini • COMPLETED LESSON

You can always look back on music, photos or movies to get you to feel nostalgia. It can release good vibes in your body and make you feel a happy way. It can also connect you to the past and when you connect to the past you can relate to many more memories. You can share it with your family and friends as well. For example, if you play a song you haven't heard in a long time and everyone could get a memory of when they first heard the song and have the feel good feeling.

09/30/2018
Avatar for dave doyle
dave doyle • LESSON IN PROGRESS

music triggers memories for me of times that are fun and worry free. I often here a song and relate it a positive time in my life. I can also relate it to a negative time as well. either way, I reflect on what that song does to me.

09/30/2018
Avatar for Michelle Smith
Michelle Smith • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Social media has the ability to have someone create themselves all over again. The sense of control and confidence come from social media. This lets people create and post memories saved on an online database. Facebook, for example, will show each person a memory they posted an x amount of years ago bringing back a sense of nostalgia.

09/30/2018
Avatar for sarah suana
sarah suana • COMPLETED LESSON

these forms of media help people to remember their best moments and experiences through movies, old music ,etc...

10/01/2018
Avatar for Brianna Risler
Brianna Risler • COMPLETED LESSON

The growth in the popularity of social media and access to old pictures and movies can more broadly influence how people experience and share nostalgic memories. This is because when you see an old picture pop up on your phone or even listen to a song that is being played on social media, that can make you reminisce the old times and bring you back to when you felt those memories. Sharing those with your friends via social media can also bring them back into those nostalgic memories as well. The impact media has on your mind and remembering the past is definitely what brings most of these thoughts.

10/15/2018
Avatar for Ella Davis
Ella Davis • LESSON IN PROGRESS

They might come across an old song or movie they used to watch or listen to all the time and it could trigger a nostalgic memory.

10/16/2018
Avatar for Gustavo Barrientos
Gustavo Barrientos • COMPLETED LESSON

Usually nostalgic memories come to mind when you feel anxious or when youn are worried about something.

10/22/2018 • 
IN RESPONSE TO 이 승찬 Show the comment
Avatar for Karen Reatiga
Karen Reatiga • COMPLETED LESSON

nostalgia is not something negative on the contrary it generates positive changes

09/02/2019
Avatar for Sara Alateek
Sara Alateek • COMPLETED LESSON

As immigrants almost moved on their hometowns, pictures that are spread remind them of how they miss them, letting them experience nostalgia. The elders watch videos of the time they were teens, so it makes them experience nostalgia.As old photos are widely shared and videos of different places spread. People are more likely to experience nostalgia frequently.

10/21/2019
Avatar for Ethan Hodges
Ethan Hodges • COMPLETED LESSON

Older forms of media such as a record player or a Nintendo 64 could bring people back to times when they had less stress in their life. when all of their needs were cared for. and the onslaught of memories give people purpose. and it can also help people find others that can relate to the same thing.

05/12/2020
Avatar for Joshua Chatman
Joshua Chatman • LESSON IN PROGRESS

It might influence people with nostalgic memories because they might think of the memories they had in there childhood.

05/13/2020
Avatar for James Centeno
James Centeno • COMPLETED LESSON

You can share and rewatch old family videos, old movies are easy to find and share with family so memories are easier to share and see.

05/13/2020
Avatar for Naiomy Canales
Naiomy Canales • COMPLETED LESSON

It might influence people that have nostalgia memories because they might remember memories from when they were a child.

05/13/2020
Avatar for Isaiah Butler
Isaiah Butler • LESSON IN PROGRESS

5/13/2020
Playing video games may bring back memories like super Mario bros or the show called or the Netflix show the twilight show Michel Jackson or pictures like when you were a kid.

05/13/2020
Avatar for Amy Herschelman
Amy Herschelman • COMPLETED LESSON

nostaliga is that you remeber the stuff what you did since your a kid nostilga is that you miss what you used to do when your a kid.

05/13/2020
Avatar for Jamalyse Alvarez
Jamalyse Alvarez • COMPLETED LESSON

it get's them off the Internet and they watch shows they are use to when they were kids

05/13/2020
Avatar for Benjamin Kuruvilla
Benjamin Kuruvilla • COMPLETED LESSON

The more popular thees things are the more people have it and it can reduce sadness or loneliness because of nostalgia memories of sharing things in social media

07/09/2020
Avatar for Alisson Amorim
Alisson Amorim • COMPLETED LESSON

People can share nostalgic memories online in social medias, discussing things they love with people who feel the same. Also, nowadays it's really easy to find old stuff we used to see, with a few a clicks we can watch that old commercial and it causes nostalgia. Using these tools are a good way to have nostalgia and improve your mental health.

11/10/2020
Avatar for Dade Mendoza
Dade Mendoza • COMPLETED LESSON

Social media gives more reminders of past experiences.

12/01/2020
Avatar for ERIN JACOBS
ERIN JACOBS • COMPLETED LESSON

People will be more likely to have nostalgic memories bc as kids we watched a lot of tv.

12/01/2020

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About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Clay Routledge
  • Director Anton Bogaty
  • Animator Anton Bogaty
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Narrator Addison Anderson