It’s summertime and there is nothing sweeter than a night in with your boo or besties. Get all comfy in your pajamas and watch a couple of movies with takeout. Maybe grab a little wine to really lean into the aesthetic. Sure, you can watch one of the new romantic comedies and a modern tale. However, there is just something so nostalgic and real about those Millennial romantic comedies. Not only will you find yourself lost in a fun and vibrant world, you will feel relaxed. Life was less complicated and complex during the ‘90s and early 2000s. Maybe that is why so many younger people are gravitating to movies that show the pre-Internet dating ways. Tbh, who doesn’t yearn for the days when a random meet cute in public started off an epic love story?

Let’s admit it, nothing compares to romantic comedies from the ‘90s and early 2000s

Movies like “Fools Rush In” give people an opportunity to tune out of our highly technological world. They offer a mirror to a simpler time. In “Fools Rush In,” two adults have to figure out life after a one night stand results in a pregnancy. It seems like a very complicated situation but something about this time comes with simplicity. The ‘90s weren’t filled with economic collapse, war, or pandemics. The world then had opportunity and possibility. The wealth gap wasn’t a glaring moral crisis. These factors have led to a complex and sometimes difficult life for Gen Z and Millennials. Trying to navigate their place in the world.

Meanwhile, disappearing into these kinds of romantic comedies offers people a historical nostalgia escape. For Gen Z, this means watching a movie from a time before they were born and feeling a connection. Gen Zers don’t know life before cellphones and social media, but they can see what life was like and long for it.

Digital fatigue is a major reason for the nostalgia for the past

Dating, and just existing honestly, is filled with digital footprints. Cell phones being in everyone’s pocket has led to a world where people feel entitled to your immediate response and attention. Before cell phones and social media, people would leave their home for the day and you wouldn’t be able to reach them until they got back. This kind of permeating digital grip on our lives is a new generational experience. Even Millennials remember a time before cell phones and social media were a daily presence in your life. For many Millennials, logging onto AOL Instant Messenger after school was the most social media and instant communication we had.

Digital fatigue is a real thing and it is increasingly important that people find ways to disconnect for their own mental health. Disappearing into romantic comedies from the ‘90s to 2000s is a great reminder of the world that existed before the permeation of handheld devices. Digital fatigue can create a list of symptoms including trouble concentrating, headaches, sleep problems, and irritability.

Emotional intelligence is appealing to younger generations

Okay, so “Real Women Have Curves” isn’t a traditional romantic comedy but it is filled with emotional intelligence. The main character is stuck in a place that so many children of immigrants will experience in their lives: stay or go. Throughout the movie, Ana Garcia, played by America Ferrera, is getting closer to graduating high school and starting her life. Her mother is determined that she will stay and help the family business.

Through this, Ana learns to navigate her emotions and use them to relate to her mother in new ways while pushing forward her own future. Younger generations are intimately connected to this kind of emotional journey. We have been told all of our lives that we are worthy of chasing our dreams. So many people in younger generations have had to channel their own emotional intelligence to navigate a world that still tries to stifle growth.

So, if you need a pre-digital place to escape to, check out some nostalgic romantic comedies from the ‘90s and early 2000s.

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