If we were to believe the Happiness U-Curve, one of the happiest periods of our lives universally is childhood. It's when we don't have any worries, responsibilities, debts, and life was just generally easier. Different generations have different things that remind them of their early years.
On the "[Heck], I'm Old" subreddit, folks regularly share the things that remind them how old they really are. Old appliances, gadgets, TV shows, actors – many things can tickle our nostalgia. So, why don't you scroll down these posts and see which ones are the most relatable to you? But we warn you: you might find out you're a little bit older than you actually thought.
More info: Reddit
#1 Not Bragging At All!
Image credits: damagedgoodz99824
#2 Nuff Said
Image credits: JimRussellMusic
#3 You Can Hear This Can't You?
Image credits: Devi8tor
It's fun to look back at ourselves in old pictures and rewatch TV shows we loved as kids. Reminiscing about our "golden years" can bring us joy, but we should be careful not to lose ourselves in nostalgia too much. If we do, we might fall victim to nostalgic depression.
Although nostalgic depression isn't an official subtype of depression, mental health experts did use the term back in the 1600s. One doctor used it to describe the melancholy and homesickness that Swiss soldiers used to feel when fighting away from home.
#4 True Story!
Image credits: damagedgoodz99824
#5 How Many Of You Sat On The Living Room Floor With A Bowl Of Cereal Saturday Mornings Waiting For This To Come On?
Image credits: Top_Midnight_8255
#6 Anyone Else Play With This Kind Of Early Tablet And Stylus?
Image credits: athornton
In the 1900s, sociologist Fred Davis offered to make a distinction between nostalgia and homesickness. From then on, his peers continued to look into the consequences of nostalgia and to study its benefits. You see, a bit of nostalgia does give us a warm, fuzzy feeling, but that's mostly because it's selective.
Nostalgia is very biased; we tend to romanticize it and remember only the bits that felt good. Even as you scroll through this list, you'll see that people often share nostalgic things associated with happiness, community, their childhood friends, or funny and wholesome memories.
#7 Any "Night Court" Fans Out There?
Image credits: Longjumping_Prune852
#8 If You Can Hear This You're Really Old
Image credits: Devi8tor
#9 Strawberry Or Chocolate
Image credits: Libra79
In 2021, a team of researchers found that our response to nostalgic memories depends on whether they're generated on request or just come to us in our daily lives. When you open your phone and go through old pictures on purpose, you'll rate these nostalgic recollections more positively. If some memories just catch you off guard throughout the day, you might dwell more on their negative side.
#10 One Of The Memories Of My Schwinn 10-Speed
Image credits: itsboydcrowder
#11 Back In The Day When You Were A Kid. Would This Have Been You?
Image credits: damagedgoodz99824
#12 Happy 99th Good Sir!
Image credits: RedOktbr28
We sometimes look back to the past to feel better about the present. When we're lonely, depressed, or just plain sad, we like to go back to the good ol' days and reminisce about how good they were. That prompted some researchers to suggest that nostalgia itself can make us feel more lonely, sad, and even depressed.
#13 F**k I'm Old
Image credits: Edm_vanhalen1981
#14 Always Funny
Image credits: JavaGeep
#15 Does Anyone Remember This Movie?
Image credits: HereInThisRedEarth
Yet other researchers have found that our response to nostalgic memories depends on how we're feeling that day. If we're already feeling lonely, nostalgic memories may exacerbate those feelings. "Nostalgia did not attenuate, but rather exaggerated the negative effects of loneliness on affective well-being," the authors of one study concluded.
#16 People Here Will Know Exactly What This Is
Image credits: damagedgoodz99824
#17 Who Could Forget This Finale? It Aired 41 Years Ago, And It Was Kind Of The End Of An Era
Image credits: Longjumping_Prune852
#18 70's Essential
Image credits: Devi8tor
But enough about the bad side of nostalgia; it has a bright side, too! Research shows that nostalgia can boost our sense of social belonging and give us a sense of meaning. A 2023 study on nostalgia's effect on loneliness by Andrew Abeyta, PhD, a Rutgers University psychology professor, revealed that lonely people who go on trips down memory lane report feeling a greater sense of meaning.
#19 I’m Pop’n Old
Image credits: Fogmoss42
#20 If You Remember Seeing This Machine You're Pretty Old
Image credits: joetrumps
#21 Did Anyone Else Sleep In One Of These? I Think I Would Have To Be Helped Out Of It Today
Image credits: 1illiteratefool
Nostalgic memories can also help us build and maintain our mental fortitude. In one survey, 84% of the respondents said that nostalgic memories serve as reminders of what is precious and meaningful in their lives. For others, they're a source of comfort (77%) and even inspiration (72%).
#22 It’s A Chair, It’s A Step-Stool. 2 Things Can Be True. Grandma Had One In 60’s And 70’s
Image credits: MurseMan1964
#23 40+ To Understand This
Image credits: vi3talogy
#24 Who Else?
Image credits: damagedgoodz99824
Social psychologist Clay Routledge, PhD, vice president of research and director of the Human Flourishing Lab, told the APA that nostalgia can help people move forward. "It makes people more optimistic about the future, it boosts well-being, it reduces anxiety, it increases positive mood and self-esteem and meaning in life. But more than that, it makes people thankful, and it energizes them."
#25 Miss Days Like These
Image credits: Libra79
#26 And That’s The Truth
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#27 Yes, It Is. Received This When I Turned 65
Image credits: Littlebirch2018
Nostalgia is also good for our future well-being. As a social psychologist from the University of Winchester, Verbon Cheung, explained to WaPo, it activates a sort of "mental highway" we can use to project into the future. When we remember past successes and friendships, it drives us to pursue new goals, meet new people, or even reconnect with old acquaintances.
#28 If You Immediately Recognize This, You’re Officially Old
Image credits: penkster
#29 Anyone Else Look Forward To These?
Image credits: Falcondriver50
#30 This Always Seemed To Appear On My Parents Coffee Table Between Thanksgiving & Christmas
Image credits: Altruistic-Cut9795
How many of these pics brought nostalgia for you, Pandas? Share with us the things that made you realize you're getting older in the comments! And if you want to see more relatable pics from the "[Heck, I'm Old]" subreddit, check out our previous posts here, here, here, and here!
#31 But Are You This F**kn Old?
Image credits: rbrt_brln
#32 39 Years Ago Today, A Group Of Strangers Gathered In An Old House For Some Kind Of Party. Fio If You Know What The Occasion Was
Image credits: bluegambit875
#33 I’m Positive You Will Not Know What This Ls. If You Really Know This Then You Must Be Old!!
Image credits: Gator_Mc_Klusky
#34 I Can Still Taste Em
Image credits: Libra79
#35 I’ll See Your Paddle Ball And Raise You A Cheap Airplane
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#36 Why Did These Go Away?
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#37 Who Remembers This?
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#38 Remember When Air Was Free?
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#39 Geeeeeez
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#40 Tears For Fears
Image credits: Doe79prvtToska
#41 Who Remembers Him?
Image credits: R3b3lli0n
#42 Filling Up Behind The Rear License Plate
Image credits: Key_Tower3959
#43 Who Was Around When These Two Became Famous And Then Infamous?
Image credits: MurseMan1964
#44 If You Recognize This Man, Then You've Likely Enjoyed Some Great TV
Image credits: Gator_Mc_Klusky
#45 If You Can Smell This Photo…
Image credits: dstranathan
#46 If You Grew Up Back In The Day You Have A Definite Opinion On This Gum
Image credits: joetrumps
#47 Were You One Of These Kids?
Image credits: Tony-Sopranos-Prozac
#48 Anyone?
Image credits: Libra79
#49 Are You Old Enough To Be Freaked Out By This?
Image credits: ElectricalWhile9635
#50 Tell Me I'm Not The Only One Who Thinks This
Image credits: damagedgoodz99824
