"This is a subreddit dedicated to satirically mocking those people who, blinded by their own nostalgia, believe certain things in the past to be unequivocally better than today," the moderators write in the subreddit’s description as they welcome members into the page. "We place a special emphasis on music because this subreddit was created after annoyance over 'born in the wrong generation' attitude often expressed by fans of 60s/70s rock."
This online group graced the internet in 2013 and has gained a strong foothold on the platform. At the time of writing, it has amassed over 302k dedicated fans eager to ridicule anyone who feels proud of their quasi-nostalgic attitudes, whether it relates to music, video games, film, other media, or societal trends in general.
In short, they mock people who wish they were born back in the good old days when real music (read: classic rock) and real art ruled the ears and minds of every civilian. 'Le wrong generation' people believe that everything made before their time was far better, and display hypocrisy by bemoaning the generation they live in and stereotyping everyone as rude, narcissistic, and tech-addicted.
According to the internet database Know Your Meme, 'Le Wrong Generation' is a pejorative label that refers to youths and young adults who show contempt for popular contemporary culture.
The earliest known use of the term was posted in 2013 in a thread on 4chan's music board about a YouTube video of a child complaining about — you guessed it — being born in the wrong generation. The phrase quickly caught on after the subreddit in question was launched to satirize people who consider old culture superior and belittle anything current.
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It’s hardly surprising why so many people deem these proclamations as hypocritical. After all, day by day, hour by hour, our world is constantly changing. There are heaps of advancements in technology, medicine, human rights, equality, and much much more, that make life better. So when the hatred for the modern era becomes some people’s sole mission, listening to their rants (which often occur online, ironically) gets annoying. Not to mention that when people begin to "live" in the past, it can compromise their well-being.
Of course, feeling nostalgic and appreciating the lifestyles of the previous decades is nothing wrong in itself. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the state of nostalgia in part as "a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for a return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition". Or, in other words, longing for how things once were.
Although we now associate the term with fond memory, the word was coined to refer to an unwanted medical condition — a mania tied to homesickness in soldiers. The nost- in nostalgia means "homecoming," and the –algia means "pain". This sentimental yearning for home was viewed as a disorder of the brain, "with symptoms ranging from melancholy and malnutrition to brain fever and hallucinations."
There’s an abundance of evidence that proves that reminiscing about the past can indeed be good for you. Andrea Brandt Ph.D. M.F.T., a marriage and family therapist with over 35 years of clinical experience, explained that nostalgia is different from simply remembering things that happened in the past, which can sometimes make us feel sad. It usually boosts our well-being because it’s a comparison-free way of looking at the bygone days.
"When we think about meaningful life events that trigger our nostalgia response, it helps make meaning of our lives," she wrote. "We form a narrative about who we are, who we've been, who we'd like to become and where we've been, where we are now, and where we'd like to go. The story we tell ourselves about ourselves is vital to our well-being."
Moreover, Taylor FioRito and Clay Routledge from North Dakota State University noted that nostalgia is a common, universal, and highly social-emotional experience. "When people bring to mind memories that make them nostalgic, they are revisiting personally meaningful life events shared with loved ones."
The researchers explained that negative affective states such as sadness, loneliness, and meaninglessness trigger nostalgia, and it, in turn, enhances well-being, feelings of social connectedness, and perceptions of meaning in life. "Nostalgia involves reflecting on past experiences but it motivates affective states, behaviors, and goals that improve people's future lives."
