People are craving comfort. Amid what can feel like a state of constant crisis – a layering of traumatic societal events – it can sometimes seem like we’ve lost a sense of scale and cohesion. In the face of this, the desire to retreat into nostalgia is more seductive than ever.

As the online world plays an increasing role in our lives, we’re giving companies more control over our intangible purchases. Canvas8 spoke to Aaron Perzanowski, co-author ofThe End of Ownership: Personal Property in The Digital Economy, to understand how people feel about owning digital goods.

While streaming platforms have made listening to music easier, experiencing it IRL is difficult in 2021. With gigs continuing to be cancelled, people are reviving the sales of cassettes and vinyls as a badge of support for their favourite artists and to experience analog music in nostalgic ways.

As people seek connection and an emotive focal point for their outings, they have turned to vinyl to satisfy these cravings. But what’s the catalyst behind this revival? And why is the allure of a physical object over a digital file appealing in a climate where everything is so easily accessible?

Whether they've listened to music on vinyl records or captured memories with Polaroid cameras, Gen Zers have found comfort in nostalgia during the pandemic. According to research, this emotional affinity for eras not personally experienced is called 'communal nostalgia'.