Intriguing Insights #007 We’ll always have Paris

As we inch closer to 100 days of being locked down, I noticed an uncanny affinity for old memories across the board. Not just some premembering of your planned vacation that got canned, but stories and habits from long long ago.

Let me bring it alive to you. We saw the Doordarshan epics, Ramayan and Mahabharat whip up quite the viewership frenzy. This was followed by an absolutely unmatchable coup by one of my most favourite brands, with the ‘Amul Classics’. You remember Amul’s old advertising masterpieces being aired on television no less. This of course saw many other brands following suit, just like DD brought back a number of its old shows on the back of its recent success.

But this wasn’t all, I then came across the retro visualisation of some of today’s most popular apps. If you’ve missed it, I’m sure these will bring a smile to your face.  Even if these were created pre quarantine they are certainly going far more viral now.

The trip down memory lane is not just in the media. Increased family time brought out the board games and endless stories about how maasi used to cheat at this game or the secret codes dadi and her brother shared. 

The dinner conversations, again thanks to many more meals together, were about how this dish was a Friday night favourite as a kid.  With more people having to do their own cooking it’s no surprise they have turned to old family recipes alongside their gourmet experiments.

So I guess everyone will be in agreement, at least to some degree, that staying at home has gotten us reminiscing about the good old days. Now the big question is, why? And I find this part the most interesting.

Nostalgia appears to be the miracle drug to take on all our quarantine woes. Let me elucidate. When I started reading about the psychological benefits of nostalgia and mapped it against the pitfalls of the lockdown it almost looked like two sides of the same coin.

I have looked at five trappings of the quarantine that I am sure each of us has come across in some measure. It is quite interesting how nostalgia seems to counter each of these five. From all that I have been reading I think the advantages are far deeper but I am going to focus on just these five to share my fascination.

Let’s look at each of these in some detail.

1. Loneliness 

There is no doubt that many of us have seen the lockdown bring with it a deep sense of loneliness. The extensive work on nostalgia by Constantine Sedikides from the University of Southampton has shown that one could benefit from the restorative function of nostalgia if social support is lacking or perceived to be lacking.

2. Feeling socially disconnected 

While seemingly similar to the first point. This point is more externally motivated as compared to loneliness. Thinking of social connections in the past can sometimes help fill the void created by social distancing. While also creating hope for new such opportunities to connect with others.

3. Irritability with spouse

We are all spending more time with our partners than probably ever before. While we attempt to make the most of this time, it also creates occasions for conflict. Couples feel closer when they share nostalgic memories. May be the first date, or a special dinner or even the proposal, all these happy moments create a bond that carries you over any dispute.

4. Boredom

This is something we are all guilty of cribbing and complaining about during the quarantine . Now how nostalgia works on boredom is that it counters the meaninglessness that is characteristic of Boredom with a sense of meaningfulness. This is triggered by past experiences which may have given meaning to our lives.

5. Anxiety

The uncertainty of where we are headed with COVID-19 has left us all with a heightened sense of anxiety. Nostalgia helps in grounding us by making us realise the temporary nature of current events over the larger span of ones life.

A lot has been said about Nostalgia Marketing over the years. However, those who were able to give us a sense of hope as we entered unchartered water truly struck a chord.