Traditionally, nostalgia is thought of as a sentimental desire to return to an earlier, often happier time that has been experienced firsthand. However, there’s a growing trend of younger generations wanting to return to a past in which they’ve never lived. There’s a term for this: anemoia.
According to BBC Science Focus, Duke University philosopher Felipe De Brigard has proposed that nostalgia goes much deeper than longing for past lived experiences to a fascination with a time or place one has never experienced. The mind can actually create imagined past experiences and a sense of longing for another time or place that was never actually lived – through stories, old photos or music. Since imagination plays a role in memory, jumping from nostalgia to anemoia isn’t such a huge leap.
Welcome to the growing trend of retro recreation: nostalgia-driven entertainment and affordable fun, where fast-paced hustle culture and over-reaching technology are put on hold. Roller skating, bowling leagues, miniature golf and other old-school activities, including drive-in theaters and vintage arcades, are seeing renewed popularity.
Retro attractions seem to appeal to every generation, just in different ways. Whether it’s families with children sharing what they loved to do growing up, younger generations looking for real connection and a screen detox, or older generations wishing to return to life before all the tech and revisit memories of birthdays and family outings, everyone longs for less stress and more fun.
“The nostalgia may draw people in, but the shared experience is what keeps them engaged,” says Lateria Allen, the general manager at Brickopolis OKC, a family entertainment center in Bricktown offering mini golf, gemstone mining, arcade games, rock climbing and more.
“These attractions have a unique ability to bring grandparents, parents and children together in a way that very few forms of entertainment can.”
People are increasingly seeking ways to detox from digital offerings, and for this, retro recreation is booming – even corporate groups are booking time at places like Brickopolis, seeking a step outside of hustle culture.
“I think people are craving genuine connection,” says Allen. “We spend so much of our lives looking at screens that experiences like mini golf, bowling, skating and arcade games give us something technology can’t: real conversations, laughter, a little friendly competition and memories made together.”
Modern tech-driven entertainment also runs up a higher price tag, so a return to the “good old days” is warranted. Skate Galaxy in Oklahoma City provides affordable prices that bring families together.
“At our place, on a Thursday or Sunday evening, a family of five can get admission with skates, a pizza and a pitcher of a beverage for $40,” says Brian Zortman, owner of Skate Galaxy in OKC.
There’s around 50 bowling centers in Oklahoma, a long list of roller skating rinks and dozens of mini-golf courses spread throughout the state. So why not slow down and enjoy the things of days-gone-by?
Featured image: Brickopolis in Oklahoma City’s Bricktown offers timeless attractions from miniature golf to arcade games that bring generations together through shared fun. Photo courtesy Brickopolis
