Thanks to the rapid-fire attacks of information and the seemingly endless onslaught of content brought on by the digital age, Gen Z’s attention span has been affectionately compared by some to that of a “gerbil on a sugar high.”

However, as much as we are constantly being bombarded by NEW, NEW, NEW, it simultaneously seems that we cannot actually come up with anything original.

Many hit moments in pop culture’s recent memory, such as “Stranger Things,” are basically surviving on 80s nostalgia at this point; the Marvel Cinematic Universe has not had an original concept in probably a decade; and anything that does seem original or new is actually a spin-off of something from forever ago, such as “Better Call Saul” or the new “Game of Thrones” prequel, “House of the Dragon.”

If Gen Z lacks the ability to focus so much, how is it also possible that we have been stuck on the same media for so long? What does this apparent contradiction say about our cultural media literacy and our legacy as a generation? What will future generations say about us, the way we comment on the iconic styles and moments of the 80s, the 90s, even Y2k?

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