Blog #2: As a society, why do we revert to past trends?

1. Provide three steps for your research with a brief explanation of how this information will lead to addressing your question.

1. What drives society’s image and the trends that we have?
   1. Firstly, I will be researching the factors that drive the trends we have. Since I will be researching the recursion of trends, I believe it is vital to have a general understanding of what drives us as a society to have trends. Additionally, this will allow me to research certain factors of our society and how as humans we interact with the evolution of society. By researching this part of my question, I will be able to gain a better understanding as to why specific trends come back while others stay back in time. Some examples include; why we focus on specific trends like florals in specific times, how the current state of the society reflects on the trends that we have in the time and is a society driven by internal factors like politics or by external factors like the environment when it comes to trends.
2. How do trends evolve over time and what is the cycle of a trend?
   1. Secondly, by researching the life cycle of a trend and the stages of a trend, I am able to make comparisons with trends that have occurred. Dissecting a pattern and finding evidence that may support the reasoning behind why certain trends from the past are popular again. When researching the life cycle I will be specifically looking at the emerging of the trend, the highest popularity point of the trend, and the factors which may cause the trend to stop. Some examples include; comparing the life cycle of a new popular trend from today to the life cycle of an older trend from another decade. Comparing the life cycle of a trend from when it first started in the past to its new reoccurrence in today’s time and forecasting the life cycles of new trends and patterns. By making these comparisons I will be able to have a reason as to why certain trends last longer than others as well as why certain trends are brought back in the future while some aren’t.
3. What psychological and sociological mechanisms contribute to nostalgia?
   1. In the reoccurrence of trends nostalgia is one of the main factors which drive it forward. By researching the two factors which go into nostalgia I will be able to understand the reasoning that goes behind trends and certain ones that are brought back. Additionally, I will be able to give my readers an understanding of what drives our simultaneous need as a society for nostalgia and its correlation to trends. Through this subcategory of research not only will I be exploring our society as a whole but also giving a much well-needed context to my overall question.

2. Provide 5 valid sources that might be useful to address the question.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-does-some-fashion-repeat-while-others-fad-ayushi-shukla#:~:text=The cyclic nature of fashion,resulting in a cyclic fashion.

https://www.fibremood.com/en/blog/trends/20-years-does-the-trick

https://baylorlariat.com/2023/10/12/gen-z-called-digital-cameras-are-back/#:~:text=Dr.,to do with our experiences.

https://sartorialmagazine.com/lifestyle/2023/7/24/the-resurgence-of-digital-cameras

https://www.miragenews.com/why-we-long-for-the-past-the-science-behind-1013752/#:~:text=Research indicates that feeling nostalgic,bonds and encourages communal harmony.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X23000015#:~:text=Sociologists treat nostalgia not just,a multitude of social contexts.

3. Explain how this question will have implications to other individuals and/or my community.

As students of this current generation, we are all drawn to what we see on the internet, whether it is here in Canada, in the states, or all over the world. Most of what we see are the trends which surge in popularity and fall back down just as fast. I feel that by researching the patterns of these trends as well as the resurgence of them, I can educate others on the ideas and nostalgia that we are exposed to from our environment.

As an individual, there are certain niches and ‘memories’ that we are attracted to. For example, some individuals really enjoy music, while others really enjoy photography. Within these hobbies, some trends can be studied and researched to understand what really drives them and as an individual who enjoys these topics, I know that understanding where they come from would make me connect with them on a deeper level. For my community, I believe that it would create a sense of reality in what we usually see online and in person. The trends that we see flow over from our phones into the school hallways, hence it would be beneficial to know where they came from, why the trends exist, and what they mean for our society.