This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Fainite Auguste. Find her on Instagram at @ceilingdancing. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
People have confessed online that they missed the 2020 through 2021 lockdown in the past year. Hundreds of TikToks have been posted reminiscing on Summer of 2020. But why is what? Why are people reminiscing about that time?
Lockdown 2020
Everyone who attended school remembers the first day of lockdown like it was yesterday. Schools shut down and it started as a “2 week break” from school. I had already started spring break, sophomore year when the lockdown began. I remember taking my SAT the same weekend when the lockdowns in certain states occurred. No one in that room knew what the year would have in store.
A few weeks later, students and Employees learned what Zoom was for the first time. The words “essential worker” were thrown around left and right. By mid-April, everyone was adjusting to this being a way of life. Students had a choice between Synchronous and Asynchronous. Due to the pandemic, more colleges allowed students to apply as test-optional which meant that SAT or ACT and other standardized tests weren’t required in the college application process. I took advantage of this when applying to colleges.
Why are People Romanticizing Lockdown?
Let’s be clear people are romanticizing the lockdown, not the actual COVID-19 virus that killed millions of people and destroyed the health of millions more.
I didn’t go anywhere for an entire year not even to get groceries. However; that was easy for me to do because I was 15 when the pandemic started and 16 years old throughout lockdown. I didn’t have to take care of myself, I didn’t have to expose myself to the virus. My mother did all the grocery shopping, and a few months into the lockdown went back to work. Now at 19 if there were to be another lockdown I would still have to work and do all the usual things I have to do.
And this is exactly why people romanticize the lockdown. It reminds them of a time when there weren’t any responsibilities. For most young adults they think of a spring break that went on for a little too long, they think of TikTok trends and popular songs. Most people who are reminiscing were teenagers or tweens when the pandemic started. A big part of their coming of age was online and indoors. They missed out on the awkward yet important parts of growing up. No in-person interactions between classmates, friends, or teachers.
Instead, tweens and teens had TikTok, the app gave everyone a space for everyone to experience the pandemic together. TikTok became part of people’s lives. And for a while, it was the only thing that kept people going. Thousands of videos were posted, giving people ideas of what to do at home. People made whipped coffee, and sourdough, and learned trendy dances.
I bet if you scrolled through 2020 TikTok audios you could immediately remember how life was when you first heard that song. It almost makes you feel homesick.
Will we ever be able to move on?
As a collective, we will never move on from lockdown. It was something out of a dystopian movie or book. A little over a year later things were “back to normal.” But is it really as it was? There are still COVID cases and people test positive every day. The CDC recommends getting vaccinated.
Now that businesses are running, in-person work and classes are a thing again living feels scary. The cost of living is higher than it was pre-pandemic, and it is harder to get a job. When we reach hard times, it makes sense to romanticize the past.
Do you remember the lockdown? How did you spend 2020? What do you think of 2020 lockdown nostalgia? Let us know!
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