Retro Things I'd Love to See Make a Comeback

If you're an old millennial or Generation X'er, we can all agree that life back in our days were simpler, less stressful, and the world was happier. As someone who's overly obsessed with nostalgia, I love discussing anything and everything regarding this topic. In this story, I'll highlight a few items that I'd love to see return again. Anything is fair game, so no item is off the table.

When Going to See a Movie Was Actually Affordable

Today, going to the movies is like a luxury for many of us. If you have children, the costs of doing so can become even more expensive, including snacks and other items. Back in 1986, the average movie ticket cost $3.71, which is $11.22 today when adjusted for inflation. For example, I recently saw Spider-Man: Brand New Day and bought a large bucket of popcorn and large Coke. These two items cost me a little over $20. I rarely or if ever purchase snacks and drinks from the concession stand. The only time I would do this if a movie I'm interested in is shown in theaters.

Certain Discontinued Foods and Drinks

When your favorite food or drink that you enjoyed back in the day is no longer in grocery or convenience stores, or even at your favorite fast-food place, your heart cracks in two. Reasons for them being discontinued range from environmental concerns to low demand. Jell-O Pudding Pops, Surge Soda, and Klondike Choco Taco are some examples of those discontinued foods and drinks. Back in 2015, I was doing some grocery shopping and all of a sudden, something caught my eye. It was Surge soda. I never expected it to appear at Walmart. I bought a couple of cans, and it was my first time drinking it. It was so good and went back to buy some more days later. Question: if you could bring back one food or drink item from a fast-food place or grocery store, what would it be? Let me know in the comments below.

Life Without Social Media

Before this thing we know today as social media existed, life was more exciting and less stressful. Social media has been a blessing and a curse. While it's great to post videos and pictures, as well as keeping up with friends and family, it has been the biggest cancer in our society. It's also nothing but a facade. We need to actually start talking to one another again. Having real conversations in person, as opposed to through a screen.

Block Parties

The first documented block party was held in 1945 in Times Square. In 1973, two teenagers in the West Bronx held a "Back-to-School Jam", due to the rise of hip-hop during that decade. I've never attended a block party but based on the videos and pictures of them I've seen, they're a great way to connect with the entire community. Mingle and have and enjoying each other's company. We need to see everyone coming together and actually having fun at block parties again. This is the kind of social event I would attend in a heartbeat. A life with no social media would be peaceful and enjoyable. There's so much negativity in this world that we forget that we only have one life, so we have to live it to the fullest.

Dodgeball in Schools

I grew up in the 1990s and one of my favorite activities I enjoyed the most in P.E. was dodgeball. It was intense and the sound of those red balls hitting us was awesome. To be honest with everyone, I enjoyed P.E. more than doing assignments in class. This isn't to say that I was a terrible student who had poor grades. I was an A-B Honor Roll student, but being in P.E. was more enjoyable. These days, dodgeball has been banned in schools due to "safety concerns", and it promoted bullying.

Manners and Decency

While most people who have exceptional manners still exist today, others lack them. I'm a huge believer in being courteous and displaying random acts of kindness, such as holding a door for someone. Saying please and thank you. Nowadays, the younger generation's respect for people older than them, especially towards authority figures. Several months ago, I watched a video on YouTube of a woman being arrested outside her place of employment. During that situation, the woman kept calling the officers bro. I despise that word so much and it makes my skin crawl when people just use it as a way to interact with others. I don't care if that's how people talk. Don't call me that and I'm dead serious about it. Teachers, the elderly, and people of higher authority deserve to be respected. This generation needs to learn how to respect adults and saying yes sir/no sir, yes ma'am/no ma'am. Both manners and decency aren't optional. They're necessary.

Quality TV Shows with Valuable Lessons

The final entry on this list is something that is rare to see today: TV shows that were actually good and taught us some lessons. I grew up watching shows like Family Matters, The Cosby Show, and, Saved By the Bell. Also, shows had those "special episodes" where they touched on serious themes such as body image, racial profiling, and bullying. I'm not saying that themes on TV shows today don't exist today, but back then, when TV shows aired those special episodes, we learn important lessons from them. Many of us related to those situations ourselves. We need to bring back good TV shows with insightful lessons.

What things would you bring back in 2026? Sound off in the comments below. In the meantime, please give this story a like if you enjoyed it. Subscribe to my page and follow me on social media. Finally, to show me some love and support me even further, please leave a generous one-off tip, which is located at the end of this story. No matter how big or small of an amount you give, it encourages creators like me to keep writing new stories.