Thekabarnews.com—Half of young adults (Gen Z) in the United States say they would rather live in the past if they could. This is a sign of a growing tide of nostalgia. It also reflects dissatisfaction with the hyper-connected world of today.

A new NBC News Decision Desk poll powered by SurveyMonkey finds that 47 percent of adults 18 to 29 said they would prefer living in an earlier time rather than the present.

Of those, one-third said they would pick a time less than 50 years ago. Another 14 percent said they would rather go back more than 50 years.

The results indicate a larger cultural movement. Younger generations are increasingly falling in love with the fashion, music, lifestyle, and technology of the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s.

For many, it’s not just about looks. It also touches on deeper concerns about the emotional impact of modern digital life.

Several young adults told NBC News in interviews that they want to live in the past. They say constant internet access wears them out. They also mention the nonstop pressure of social media. Moreover, they feel overwhelmed by the feeling of always being online.

They said older decades had stronger face-to-face relations, slower living, and more authentic personal experiences.

This was the response from Ben Isaacs, a 20-year-old student from Colorado, who took part in the poll: “Less than 50 years ago.”

His ideal era was the 1990s, he said.

“There were no phones, more personal experience, but also still some of the ease of modern technology,” said Isaacs.

He’s not alone in his view. Many Gen Z and younger millennials also feel caught between the convenience of technology and the emotional overload of it all.

Many say they love the modern tools. However, they hate the pressure of social media, instant messaging, and the digital comparison culture.

Psychologists often amplify nostalgia during times of uncertainty or stress.

For younger adults facing economic precarity, housing pressures, career uncertainty, and digital fatigue, the past can seem easier, safer, and more meaningful. However, much of that view is formed through idealization.

Retro trends in music, fashion, film, and design have also helped bolster this emotional connection with past decades, experts say.

Streaming services, vintage clothes culture, and nostalgia accounts on social media have all helped to revive interest in old ways of living.

But the researchers are careful not to suggest that nostalgia is a rejection of the present.

Or perhaps it’s an urge to balance—to preserve the benefits of modernity while regaining a deeper sense of human connection.

The poll indicates that for many young adults, the dream is not merely to go back in time. Rather, it is to find a version of life that feels less distracted and more real.

In an age of constant notifications, many are asking one simple question: Was life better before everyone was always online?

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