2023/07/26 by David, Ananya
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Cultural Studies and Postmodernism #Gothic Literature and Media Analysis #Nostalgia and Consumer Behavior
paper · doi:10.14288/cjur.v9i1.198570
openalex publication_date 2023/07/26 · openalex created_date 2025/11/28 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/01
Stranger Things (Duffer et al., 2016-present), is a Netflix Original series that has gained significant popularity since it first aired in 2016. The show is based in the 1980s and has drawn inspiration from classic sci-fi films of the decade. The show’s setting and premise have been successful in evoking nostalgia in those who lived through the ‘80s, as well as those who didn’t, by manufacturing a romanticized version of the era. This paper focuses on the vicarious nostalgia instilled by the show in its Generation Z viewers, through its authentic recreation of the 1980s. This paper also considers how Netflix’s binge-watching model amplifies the transportive impact of Stranger Things, by encouraging viewers to watch a higher number of episodes in individual sittings, thereby establishing a state of immersion which takes them further away from the real world. I argue through this research, that the enveloping and alluring environment produced by the show and its suggested method of consumption causes Gen Z viewers to experience vicarious nostalgia and a yearning for the 1980s. I conclude this article by recommending further avenues for research within the domain of vicarious nostalgia. Keywords: vicarious nostalgia, Generation Z, Stranger Things, Netflix, binge-watching behaviour, immersive viewing