Nostalgia is one of the internet’s favorite pastimes.
The New York Times recently reported on a new trend built around that feeling: social media accounts posting AI-generated scenes that look as though they were plucked straight from the ’80s or ’90s.
“POV: Its summer in 2000… and life felt different,” one such post is captioned. A young woman looks into the camera: “Long days at the water park, no phones, just fun that never seemed to end.” Next, a teenager holds a marshmallow over a campfire. “No group chats, no DMs, just stories around the fire until morning,” he says.
@the.nostalgia.cat Summer 2000 🌞 #summer2000s #2000s #2000sthrowback #2000snostalgia #nostalgia #early2000s ♬ aquatic ambience – Scizzie
@the.nostalgia.cat Summer 2000 🌞 #summer2000s #2000s #2000sthrowback #2000snostalgia #nostalgia #early2000s ♬ aquatic ambience – Scizzie
Summer 2000 🌞 #summer2000s #2000s #2000sthrowback #2000snostalgia #nostalgia #early2000s
Idyllic. Of course, none of those people or scenes are real. But that hasn’t stopped viewers from aching for a past that feels simpler. “Someone please build a time machine so we can go back in time and enjoy our childhood again,” one commenter wrote. Another: “I miss this so bad.” And another: “Technology killed everything.”
The popularity of this nostalgia-bait reflects a wider mood. More than 60% of Americans report feeling nostalgic right now, per CivicScience data. And for many, nostalgia is actually a sort of coping mechanism: According to a May survey from Human Flourishing Lab, 63% of people reportedly turn to nostalgia when stressed or overwhelmed by modern life, and a similar share lean on it when feeling anxious about the future. In 2025, plenty of people are feeling both.
That helps explain why AI clips can be so persuasive. “You know the 90s miss you right,” one AI creation says. “Let me guess, no one even talks face to face anymore. Here, we’re out till the streetlights come on. You should stay. The world feels real here.” That post alone has nearly half a million likes. One comment reads: “This video is speaking to my soul.”
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNiYrn5utfI
In light of those feelings, the pull of the past can be undeniable. “You know the 90s miss you right,” one AI creation entices. “Let me guess, no one even talks face to face anymore. Here, we’re out till the streetlights come on. You should stay. The world feels real here.”
A message from the 80s #maximalnostalgia pic.twitter.com/B9oaRQjmzg— Maximal Nostalgia (@MaximalNSTLGA) September 2, 2025
A message from the 80s #maximalnostalgia pic.twitter.com/B9oaRQjmzg
A viral Instagram account, Purest Nostalgia, which has more than 794,000 followers, offers a “life before social media” through retro televisions, softly lit bowling alleys, and sun-soaked malls. The irony that these are social media posts, created with AI, is beside the point.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Purest Nostalgia (@purestnostalgia)
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Purest Nostalgia (@purestnostalgia)
“What a beautiful life,” one commenter wrote.
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