At the turn of the century, the panic of the end of the world was overthrown with the dawn of Y2K (year 2000 problem), a flashy, pop star influenced genre wrapped up in low rise jeans and statement jewellery. A brief moment of glamour and reality that swept the world with optimism and novel before the cynicism and dread took hold of the generation amid the tragedy of 9/11. 25 years later, the recycling of Y2K has returned as an aesthetic and lifestyle for Gen Z, reviving the fashion, technology, and media of the generation; disposable cameras, reboots of cult classics and resurrected fashion. The term Y2K (year 2000 problem) was reserved for the computer bug that panicked the populate rat the tern of the century its now being used to describe the futuristic and playful aesthetic marketed to the teenage demographic of 2025.
Over 40 reboots and sequels have been reimagined by numerous streaming platforms (Gossip Girl, ICarly, Indiana Jones and the diva of destiny, coming to America 2, Fuller House and Mean Girls: the musical to name a few), profiting off the aesthetic and ideology Gen Z has for Y2K, incorporating the fashion and technology into the media.The past has been monetised in Hollywood, creating a safety net for industry to fall back on when ideas run dry, profiting of the nostalgia of these shows for millennials and the fantasy that Gen Z are susceptible too. Parrot analytic shows that Netflix’s of reboots and sequels makes up for 3.2% of their discography but makes up for 7.6% of catalog demand, emphasising the economical impact of these sequels and the high demand continues to give Hollywood the incentive to continue to create these reboots.
The emotional connection between childhood nostalgia and media that Y2K is incorporating into their aesthetic by Hollywood is forcing upon the media is a ready-made method for the industry, chasing the decade made connections that have been made with this era, using visual aids for comfort and aesthetic, pulling in all generations. Streaming platforms have weaponised the psychological comfort of these shows, pushing popular names and actors to guarantee views. Nostalgia is seen as a response to uncertainty, grounding people in a time of crisis, the uses of the YK2 aesthetic brings those from the generation a sense of a simpler and comforting atmosphere, making it a centre of marketing and media insures economic growth as it brings comfort and familiarity, causing the association to grow stronger, thus more sales. It is a guaranteed marketing strategy rather than a wholesome inclusion. The revival of shows in a modern world given these generations a common ground, merging parents and children’s interests with the feeling of nostalgia and the modern take of fan favourites. It brings comfort and a wholesome atmosphere within households pushing the boundaries of media and presenting a show which can be enjoyed by everyone. It is an economic strategy pushing the idea of longing and borrowed longing, embracing the glitch in the culture of Y2K.
This stems further then media.The fashion industry is marketed to the new generations by advertising the Y2K trend through high rated influencers, Pushing the social media aspect with hashtags such as “#Y2K” and “#2000saesthetic”, resurrecting name brands (like Juicy Couture and Ed Hardy) and featuring them through popular outlets and social media platforms. According to ‘Business Insider’ at the peak of juicy couture, they generated US$605 (2008); fast forward to 2024, they brought US$324 within the revival of Y2K (startups.co.uk). Fast fashion has caught onto the trend and is pushing the products through promotion and the cheap clothes, this is allowing the consumption of Y2K products to be made even easier and more accessible.
This not only gives the new generation the feeling that they are experiencing the decade but allows companies to profit off the trend, therefore influencing the over consumption and promotion of fast fashion due to a psychological need to embrace the carefree lifestyle seen in Y2K rather then the current age of economic panic and anxiety.
GWI found that 37% of Gen Z feel nostalgia for the 90s, a further 54% prefer the vintage look, making them more susceptible to the fashion of the era. The increase of Y2K name brands has risen immensely since the trend began, Von Dutch which was largely seen as a quality jeans company has risen 13,000% in the year following the trend, resurrecting what was once a dead brand.
The revival of Y2K may seem harmless but cultural critics see it as a creative stagnation, “the slow cancellation of the future” (Mark Fisher). Gen Z are obsessed with the shimmer and simpler version of the decade that is promoted rather than the issues that came with the time – sexism in the workplace, 9/11 and in turn the desolate fear left behind and the crippling amount of body-image pressure that magazines, influencers and diet culture promoted. The reboots of fan favourites such as Gossip Girl present a more inclusive, diverse culture, a complete switch to the atmosphere of the original. Gen Z feeds on the illusion of Y2K and the 2000s whilst having a more secure and inclusive outlet to relieve the aesthetic. The promotion that brands and Hollywood have presented are feelings and a facade of what the 2000s were rather than the actual reality of the culture surround the time. The irony of the comeback of Y2K stems from the promoted version of the era, engineering an algorithm that economically supports the fad of Y2K.
The revival of Y2K is not an aesthetic for the look; it is a fantasy of a safer and simpler time rather than the pessimistic reality that is broadcast to today’s susceptible generations. It focuses on the lighthearted feeling that came along with the messy and carefree persona associated with the time. It is a mirror to how the world feels today and an escape from the trials and tribulations Gen Z faces.
The borrowed nostalgia is not to reinvent the trends of the time but to find comfort in what is marketed as a safer and easier life.