Sometimes when you are just going about your day, you will encounter a particular sound, visual, or smell that sends you flying back to simpler times. These experiences, among others, are just classic examples of nostalgia, that hard-to-put-your-finger-on feeling of longing for something from the past.
The “No Context Nostalgia” Instagram page shares images of things that have a solid chance of unlocking some childhood memories. So get comfortable, strap in for a blast from the past as you scroll through, and be sure to upvote your favorite examples. We got in touch with the page’s admins to learn more.
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Wait! Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny and Big Bird in the same picture? No way you could do this today. The people who own those properties would never work together.
Bored Panda got in touch with Jake Laycock, the page’s creator and admin, and he was kind enough to answer some of our questions. Firstly we were curious to hear more about how and why the page was created in the first place.
“Like many people, I was looking for a pandemic project. Something to pass the time, and this seemed like a fun idea! It originally was just a Twitter page, posting random nostalgic images, and once it started to take off a little, I thought I could branch out to Instagram and TikTok as well,” he shared.
A phone case for the indestructible phone. My roommate had one of these until about 2014.
As of writing, “No Context Nostalgia” has over a quarter-million followers on Instagram alone. So we wanted to hear Jake’s take on what exactly would draw so many people to this kind of content. You know... life is tough, and the older you get, the tougher it can feel sometimes. I always looked at nostalgia as this sentimental affection for a point in time in all of our lives.”
“It helps to unite us to that authentic self and reminds us of who we have been, compared to who we feel we are today. I know that sounds a bit hoity-toity, but sometimes all it takes is seeing a toy or a discontinued snack you loved as a kid to bring a little joy into your day,” he shared with Bored Panda.
I did like playing with this one. Even though I knew how it working, I choose to believe it was magic. Cool Beans.
Of course, nostalgia is a pretty subjective experience, so we wanted to know what were some of the internal rules and guidelines for what gets featured or rejected. “I do my best to feature a variety of life experiences. So, wherever you grew up, or whatever kinds of toys you played with, or shows you watched, hopefully, you can find something that pops up in your social feed that resonates with you.”
“I always feel like the more specific, the better. Really diving deep to unlock a memory of something you thought you forgot about but is locked away in the back corner of your mind somewhere,” he added. No doubt, as you scroll through, you might be suddenly remembering all sorts of parts of your youth you didn’t even know you still carried with you.
My mom would give me a glass of strawberry milk every year for my birthday. It was delicious! As an adult at the grocery store, I saw this and bought some for old times' sake. It tasted horrible. So I called Mom and asked what she used to make my strawberry milk. She answered, "food coloring".
Jake left us with some parting thoughts. “I get tons of submissions from people in my DMs, and I love to see them! People from all over the world are looking to share something that they remember that no one else seems to, and they want to share because it means a lot to them. I'd like to encourage people to continue to share things that they feel mean a great deal to themselves, as it may mean a great deal to others as well.” So if you want to keep seeing this sort of content, follow “No Context Nostalgia” on Instagram.
The old (perhaps nostalgic) adage that “truth is stranger than fiction” can also be said about nostalgia. The term itself was first coined in the 17th century, to describe the very intense homesickness felt by Swiss mercenaries fighting throughout Europe. Physicians described it as a medical condition, with bouts of depression and melancholy. Thankfully, the modern equivalent is a tad bit nicer.
These and the weird Colgate branded toothpastes with the characters on top... sparkle blue... wow the flashbacks
The word itself, stripped of this meaning, comes from the Greek νόστος (nóstos) which simply means homecoming. It’s quite easy to see how returning to a familiar place after a long time away would fill you with an intense feeling of nostalgia. No doubt many folks returning home for Christmas went through a bit of this at the time.
They still had one at the supermarket a few months ago, and nostalgic me was read to feed it quarters but the slots had rusted over.
Sorry, but my Easy Bake Oven was way more old and way more dangerous!
It’s fortunate that these days we have a lot more to enjoy when thinking about the past. Some research indicates that engaging with these sorts of memories, when pleasant, can noticeably improve a person’s mood. This is a useful tool during trying times to help a person pull through them by “replacing” their current feelings with positive feelings they had in the past. So if you perhaps feel a bit guilty about scrolling through content like this, remember, it can actively make your life feel just that little bit better.
I remember the Maori tribes suing Lego for stealing their names.
Note: this post originally had 85 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
Pretty much all the toys were thingsnmy children had, who are all now aged 21-29. So I remember those having bought them for xmas/birthday gifts. Foods less so as we live in the UK, and that is a US list.
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Pretty much all the toys were thingsnmy children had, who are all now aged 21-29. So I remember those having bought them for xmas/birthday gifts. Foods less so as we live in the UK, and that is a US list.
Load More Replies... 