by Morgan Guess-Williams
I was inspired to write this article though a YouTube video that popped up on my feed, titled ‘The Importance of Permanence’. In it, the creator discusses that we now live in a time where we truly don’t own the things that we think that we own. Every subscription that we pay to Netflix, Amazon or Spotify might seem like we have a semblance of ownership for the material that we pay for, but in reality, we rent it from a corporation that can revoke the right to access these materials from us at any time. Instead, the creator suggests the importance of permanence, to leave something behind that we cherished in our childhoods for the children of the future, like physical copies of films, TV shows, video games, books and so on, if these services ever shut down or remove our favourite pieces of media.
It was a really interesting watch, and it was entirely coincidental: it appeared on my feed during the time that I was clearing out my bedroom for a total redecoration. If anything, it got me motivated to start cleaning my room and sort through all my old belongings from my childhood to keep or to give to charity. Anything that I kept, I knew I wanted it to be preserved forever.
Picking up some of my old comic books, toys and games gave me an overwhelming sense of nostalgia with each object. It wasn’t overwhelming in a bad way, it was overwhelming in the sense that I felt a bit of joy seeing them again, like the same joy I had as a child interacting with them.
The case containing my Game Boy with its cartridges perfectly organised reminded of times in my childhood where I felt joy in an otherwise overwhelming world, where I escaped into my handheld worlds. The box containing all my old Batman comics took me back to the times where I was enthralled in the Dark Knight’s epics through immersive storytelling and beautiful artwork. A bag filled with some old teddies, all of them being attributed to calming memories of childhood bedtimes. It was certainly nice to see some old friendly faces again. I felt a bit guilty leaving them in there for so long to gather up dust.
What did all of these experiences mean for me? It got me thinking not just about preserving them for future generations, but about the concept of nostalgia.
The term was first coined by Swiss physician Johannes Hofer in the late 17th Century, when exploring the concept of homesickness. Derived from the Greek words nostos (homecoming) and algos (pain), nostalgia was given a bad rep in its early studies, loosely defined as a disorder to describe someone who is homesick. It was labelled as a disease which caused depression, anxiety, insomnia and heart palpitations.
It was only until recently, i.e. the 1970s, that nostalgia has been properly researched, and its negative connotations from the past were replaced with views that nostalgia is more of a positive emotion rather than a negative one. It was also finally separated from homesickness and was given the proper redefinitions and analysis it deserved.
Nostalgia has been found to have important and beneficial psychological functions:
Nostalgia can curb feelings of loneliness and make us feel more socially connected. A study into the emotion found that those who were asked to write about an event from their past which felt sentimental to them felt loved and supported by people, which helped them with their feelings of loneliness. Another study found that nostalgia helped people to feel optimistic about their relationships, encouraging them to connect more with others.
A longing for comfortable and happy memories in the past can significantly improve our moods in the moment. When focusing on a positive past experience, it can serve as a mental respite from current stressors, through the release of our own ‘happy chemicals’ such as dopamine.
The emotion can also help us find a sense of meaning in our lives, too. In a research paper by the University of Southampton, nostalgia was found to enhance a sense of connection between our past and present self. By recalling events in our life which feel sentimental and precious to us, it can provide a sense of belonging and identity, helping us to understand who we are, where we came from and what our purpose in life is.
Nostalgia is also a powerful tool for those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Reminiscence therapy uses nostalgic prompts like a photo album, an old song or an old piece of clothing to help dementia patients to evoke their long-term memories, and to focus on positive and rewarding aspects of their past to improve wellbeing.
Permanence goes hand-in-hand with nostalgia. In my opinion, if you truly want to feel blissful in the happy memories of your past, it is important to use permanence to preserve it forever, and for the generations of tomorrow.
Did you have a favourite film as a child that you rewatch at least once a year to enjoy, even if you’ve seen it tens or even hundreds of times? Go out and buy a DVD copy of it. How about a video game that you spent hours playing? Get yourself a physical disc copy of it. Suppose you have one of your favourite books in your Kindle library: take a trip to your local bookstore and purchase a copy for yourself. Gone through your attic and found a toy from your childhood that brings back playful memories? Keep it safe and secure, like the gold bars in Fort Knox.
It’s good that objects like Polaroid film cameras are making a comeback for the current generation. Take as many photos of the good times as you possibly can and fill up your photo albums to the brim with your printed memories. Like the dusty old shoebox at your parents’ home full of photo albums, build yourself a hefty collection to show to your future kids, grandkids or even great grandkids.
I believe that if you practice permanence in your life, the nostalgic memories about the objects and memories that you hold will forever be enhanced and physical, allowing you to cherish and share them forever.