Gen Z is all grown up

For the past few weeks, the new TikTok mega-trend has revolved around nostalgia. The hashtag #icantgoback has gone viral, amassing millions of videos in just a few days. Users have interpreted it in various ways, all united by a melancholic tone mixed with a bit of embarrassment. The format, set to the song by AcNino singing the phrase “I can’t go back”, is simple: find an embarrassing high school photo—preferably featuring a weird haircut—and let yourself be overtaken by that otherwise-called cringe feeling. Videos typically have captions like «remember your cut from 8th grade school» or «remember your hair in 5th grade», followed by a time jump revealing a photo from the user's past, triggering the same feeling we get when we see an old photo of ourselves we never wanted to look at again. Comments include lines like «reminds me of the 2k days» or «this was taken yesterday» for those who haven’t changed much. However, some interpret the trend in a more identity-focused way, turning it into a point of pride about a physical trait or style that has drastically changed over time: the video by Callmeagentzero, who asks «remember when you weighed 400 pounds», reached 1.6 million views by showing what the creator used to look like; or another user, with the caption «do u remember ur masc phase?», reached 3.1 million views by highlighting how they once identified with a very different aesthetic.

If a parallel universe existed, one could argue that the trend takes inspiration from the early Italian meme “Non ce la faccio, troppi ricordi” (I can’t handle it, too many memories) taken from a frame in Tre uomini e una gamba by Aldo Giovanni and Giacomo: same intention, same nostalgic “amarcord” vibes, but from different generations. This generational aspect is exactly what could lead us to discuss how much Gen Z has grown up, become adults, and begun reckoning with their past. Because even though it’s mainly focused on how embarrassing hairstyles used to be, #icantgoback is one of the first trends that tells the story of Gen Z entering adulthood. In fact, according to the study by Talker Research on behalf of Life Happens, Gen Z believes adulthood starts at 27 years old. The survey shows that many young people associate “growing up” with financial independence (45%) and prioritizing responsibilities over fun (38%). Other key milestones include moving out (46%) and finding the first job (28%). So, while in 2025 we’ve started talking about the newborn Generation Beta, the “older” Zoomers are graduating, entering the workforce, and starting to face adult worries—alongside their memories.

The aging of Gen Z has actually been a topic of debate for some time: another trend from early February 2025 explored the feeling of confusion experienced by a generation growing up but still attached to its past. The format "meeting my younger self for a coffee" was based on a poem by Jeannae Cecelia imagining a coffee date with one’s younger self, offering reassurance about the future. It was quickly embraced by young people: «we hugged and I told her that I am becoming everything she had ever wanted me to be» expresses both the fear of aging and anxiety about the future—two deeply connected themes. Insecurities about aging are nothing new, just like the urge to share adolescent memories. But the big difference now is perhaps sharing them in front of millions of viewers. “In the past, aging anxiety happened in the privacy of one’s home or maybe with a close friend or family member”, said New York Times Renee Engeln, professor of psychology at Northwestern University. “Now it happens on TikTok, with an audience.”