EP06 | Gen Z and the Love for Retro | Z世代為何迷上復古風？

這一集，Miss Y 帶你一起了解為什麼 Gen Z 這一代特別喜歡復古文化。從黑膠唱片、底片相機、DVD、復古遊戲，到舊音樂、懷舊影集與古著穿搭，看看他們喜歡哪些復古事物，以及背後真正的原因。Miss Y 也分享自己最懷念的復古裝置，回顧它為什麼曾經那麼流行，以及它帶來的情感記憶。

In this episode, Miss Y explores why Gen Z is drawn to retro culture. From vinyl records and film cameras to old music, retro gaming, and vintage fashion, she explains what they love and why. Miss Y also shares the vintage device she misses most and why it once meant so much.

Leave a comment and share your thoughts: https://open.firstory.me/user/cmilgpemw00i201yvfrduavyf/comments

Transcript:
Hey guys, I’m your English teacher, Miss Y!
Welcome to the podcast made for intermediate English learners who want to listen to English, and learn about different topics in a fun and easy way.
I just finished the finale of Stranger Things, the drama on Netflix. Are you guys a fan of that show too? After watching, I felt … wow. I’ve been watching this show for almost ten years. Ten years! So finally seeing the ending felt kind of unreal.
And yeah— it is a great TV drama. It was emotional, intense, scary, and somehow still very warm at the same time. So the last episode, 影集的一集叫一個episode, when the last episode ended, I just sat there for a moment like, “Okay… that’s it. It’s really over.”
If you’ve never watched it, Stranger Things is basically a sci-fi story about a group of kids in a small town, strange experiments, another dark world, and a lot of friendship.
And one thing that makes the show special is its retro vibe. Retro 這個字是今天的key word. Retro vibe is the feeling you get from the past, from the old times. retro有點像復古、重新流行的感覺. So the drama is set in the 1980s, everything feels old-school— the bikes, the clothes, the music, the technology. No smartphones. No social media.
Just kids riding bikes, knocking on doors, and hanging out in person.
And while I was watching the ending, I suddenly realized something.
This show is popular not only because of the story, but also because of how much people—especially Gen Z—love that retro feeling. And that actually connects perfectly to what we’re talking about today. Have you noticed that Gen Z really loves old things? Not just “old” like last year’s phone. I mean DVDs, vinyl records 就是黑膠唱片, film cameras 底片相機, old game consoles 遊戲機台, old TV shows, and early-2000s fashion. At first, this feels kind of strange. Because Gen Z grew up with smartphones. They grew up with streaming, social media, fast internet, and apps for everything. So why are they going backwards? Today, I want to break this into two simple parts. First, What kinds of retro things does Gen Z actually like? And second, Why does the past feel so attractive to them right now?

Let’s start with the first part. What Retro Things Does Gen Z Love? Let’s start with vinyl records. Yes, even in the age of Spotify and Apple Music, vinyl records are coming back. Gen Z likes vinyl not because it’s convenient— actually, it’s less convenient. You have to put the record on. You have to flip it. flip, 翻面. You need to flip the record. You can’t skip songs easily. skip, 跳過. It’s not easy to skip songs.
But that’s the point. Listening to vinyl feels intentional. intentional, 刻意的. It’s intentional. Music becomes something you focus on, not just background noise. And there’s also the physical part. You can see the album cover. You can touch the record
Many Gen Z listeners say, “It feels more real.”
Next: film cameras. film, 底片, 也可以用這個字來指電影. 這裡是底片的意思. Most of us take photos with our phones without thinking. Take one, delete it, take another.
Film cameras are the opposite, it’s totally different. You don’t see the photo right away. Each photo costs money. You have to wait. And Gen Z actually likes that pressure. Waiting makes the moment feel special. You slow down. You think before you click. Many also say film photos feel warmer and more emotional.
Now let’s talk about DVDs. Streaming is convenient, streaming 就是串流, 線上可以直接看影片聽音樂. Streaming is easy, but it can also be annoying. You scroll and scroll, scroll 就是滑手機的滑. You keep scrolling and still can’t decide what to watch. Some Gen Z people prefer DVDs because they like owning things. When you have a DVD, it won’t disappear from a platform. You don’t need the internet. You don’t need a subscription. And because DVDs are “old,” they’re often cheaper. Gen Z often describes DVDs as
“cool,” “authentic,” authentic means real. or even “a bit rebellious.” 叛逆
Gen Z also loves old music. Songs from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s are everywhere.
Many Gen Z listeners discover old songs through social media. A short video can make a 30-year-old song popular again. Even though they weren’t alive at that time,
the music feels emotional and meaningful. Old songs become part of their identity. identity 身份. Songs become who they are. Retro gaming is another big one. Old game consoles, handheld devices, handheld 就是手持的, and simple games. Why? Because modern games are complicated. You need updates. You need downloads. You need the internet.
With retro games, you put the game in and play. No waiting. No pressure. For many Gen Z players, retro games feel comforting— like going back home.
Gen Z also loves old TV shows Shows they watched as kids, or shows from before they were born. Why? Because you already know the story. You know the characters. You know what’s going to happen. There’s no stress. Watching familiar shows helps people relax.
It lowers emotional pressure. This is why comfort shows are so popular. comfort就是感覺很療癒的. They like comfort shows.
And finally, fashion. Vintage and second-hand clothes are everywhere. Vintage is another key word here. Vintage跟retro差不多意思, 復古的. Vintage and second-hand clothes.
Y2K fashion. Y2K fashion is the early-2000s style. 90s styles. Gen Z likes vintage fashion because it feels unique. Online trends make everyone look the same. Vintage clothes are harder to copy. Finding a vintage jacket or jeans feels like a treasure hunt. 尋寶 treasure hunt. It shows effort, taste, and personality.

So after looking at all these retro things— vinyl records, film cameras, DVDs, old music, retro games, comfort shows, vintage fashion— the big question is… Why now? Why does this generation, the most digital generation ever, feel so drawn to the past? I think one big reason is simply that being online all the time is tiring. Gen Z grew up with phones in their hands. Notifications never stop. Social media never sleeps. Even when you’re “relaxing,” you’re still scrolling, comparing, and reacting. So when Gen Z touches something retro, it feels different. Old technology has limits. You can’t do ten things at once. You watch one DVD. You listen to one record. You play one game. And that slowness feels calming. Another thing is ownership. Ownership is the fact that you actually have a thing. Today, almost everything is temporary. temporary 暫時的. We rent music, rent movies, rent software. Things disappear. Platforms change. Subscriptions end. But retro things are physical. physical 實體的. These things are phyisical. When you buy a DVD or a vinyl record, it’s yours. No internet needed. No updates. No “this content is no longer available.” For a generation growing up with job uncertainty, high living costs, and an unclear future, owning something real—even something small—feels surprisingly important. There’s also a strong emotional reason: nostalgia. Here comes another key word, nostalgia. Nostalgia is a feeling when you think about the past. 懷念過去的感覺, 懷舊. nostalgia. Gen Z lives in a very heavy time. They grew up watching global crises on their phones. They went through a pandemic during important years of their life. They see bad news often, all day, every day. So the past feels safe. Old shows feel predictable. Old music feels comforting. Old styles feel warm. Even if Gen Z didn’t live in those times, they imagine them as simpler. And honestly, every generation does this. When the present, the present is the time right now. When the present feels stressful, we look back. Social media makes this even stronger. We’re always comparing our real lives to other people’s highlight reels. highlight reels 就是精選的限時動態,在社交媒體上. And Gen Z also feels pressure to present a perfect version of themselves online— for school, for work, for dating. Life can start to feel like a performance. Retro culture feels less fake. People weren’t documenting or recording everything. Moments weren’t measured by likes. That idea feels refreshing. There’s also the need for individuality. Individuality means something to make you different than other people, you are an individual, you are not other people, you are you. Online trends spread so fast that everyone ends up looking the same. Buying something vintage feels intentional. It says, “I chose this.” Not an algorithm, 演算法, not an algorithm that your internet feeds you. And finally, I think retro offers something very simple but very powerful. It feels human. It’s imperfect. It’s slower. It’s physical. In a world that’s fast, digital, and overwhelming,
retro feels grounding. ground是土地嘛, grounding是一種很腳踏實地的感覺, 很穩. So Gen Z isn’t rejecting the future. They’re just looking for balance. And sometimes, the past is the easiest place to find it.

Speaking of retro things, there’s one vintage device I personally miss a lot. The iPod. You guys know iPod? Not iPad. It’s a music player. I still remember the day I got my first iPod. It was a gift from my dad, and I was so excited. I remember opening the box and thinking, “Wow… I’m cool now. I’m officially trendy.” Back then, the iPod was a hit. And it actually solved a real problem. Before the iPod, listening to music was kind of annoying. You had CDs, you had to change discs, and MP3 players were small and hard to use. Then the iPod came out and said, “1,000 songs in your pocket.” That was crazy at the time. It was also super easy to use. The click wheel made sense right away. Click wheel 就是它有一個轉盤, you can use one finger to control and choose songs. It’s so easy to use, no learning curve. And the design mattered. It looked clean, simple, and cool. Those white earphones? Everyone recognized them. Most importantly, the iPod did just one thing—play music. No notifications. No distractions. Just you and your music. You can really focus on music. And that’s why people loved it. For me, the iPod wasn’t just a music player. It was a personal accessory, so chic. 超時髦的. And it felt personal. It held my favorite songs, my moods, my memories. So when I think about my old iPod, it isn’t just old technology. It’s a feeling. And yeah… I kind of miss that feeling.
So before we end today’s episode, let me ask you something. Is there anything you feel nostalgic about? Maybe it’s an old device. An old TV show. A song you listened to again and again. Or something small from your childhood. Nostalgia isn’t just about the past. It’s about feelings. Comfort. Safety. And memories that stay with us. So if you want, take a moment today. Think about that one thing you miss. And maybe—just maybe— bring a little bit of that feeling back into your life.

I’m Miss Y, and I hope you enjoyed learning English with me. If you liked this episode, come back next time for another fun 15 to 20 minutes of simple, clear English and a brand-new topic to explore. Stay curious, learn the World in simple English with Miss Y, I’ll talk to you again soon. Bye.