Familiar Things: Stranger Things, Adolescence and Nostalgia

This article analyzes how the psychological aspects of nostalgia contribute to the success of the Netflix series Stranger Things. After quantifying and contextualizing the extraordinary popularity of the series, the authors outline the nostalgic elements at work within the show, including music, fashion, dialogue and narrative allusions, all of which add to the potentiality for access to viewers. Having established the intensity of the show's nostalgic content and form, the authors then argue that the "comfortable associations" throughout the show contribute to the show's popular appeal and the uncanniness of its horror. In addition to invoking emerging research on the psychological benefits of nostalgia, the article employs cognitive and socioemotional theoretical perspectives to discuss how focusing on characters in early adolescence maximizes the potential impact of the nostalgia, creating fertile ground for growing new affections for identity-building memories and experiences.