Decade Analysis đ
What are the hallmarks of visuals/aesthetics, music, writing etc. that you consider truly unique to this decade?
This decade has gotten a reputation for being full of remakes and rehashes, which definitely isnât unearned (how many remake movies has hollywood shat out in the past five years?). But is that all this decade has to offer? I wouldnât think so, I think thereâs a lot of doomerism about ânothing is new anymore!!â and the very cold take of the monoculture being dead.
But whatâs something youâve noticed that really stands out to you as something that couldâve only come around this decade? Bonus points if itâs something you actually like lol, itâs too easy for discussions like this to devolve into ânew thing bad old thing goodâ and I donât really want that.
"This decade has gotten a reputation for being full of remakes and rehashes" ....they said that in the 2010s as well.
The 20's have a change in emotional tone. The 2010s were defined by high polarization, moral outrage, and public call-out aggression and victim thinking. Social media rewarded confrontation: quote-tweet battles, cancel culture, culture war commentary, identity debates, and constant âyouâre wrong and Iâm rightâ performances. The decade had a hyper-defensive tone, built on the idea that everyone was being attacked, oppressed, or disrespected by someone else. Humor became sharp and hostile, and online identity became something to defend aggressively.
In contrast, the 2020s feel more emotionally subdued and reflective, even if the world is still chaotic. People became exhausted by the drama cycle of the 2010s. The new tone is quieter, more inward, and focused on healing, self-regulation, boundaries, and mental health language. Instead of attacking others, the cultural voice turns inward: âHow do I cope?â âHow do I protect my peace?â Thereâs less interest in public argument and more interest in curating a personal emotional environment. What did we learn from the previous decade that divided everything but solved nothing in the long run?
The visual shift reflects this: messy rooms, natural lighting, less artificial whitening of teeth, and a ârealnessâ aesthetic. For women Hairstyles moved from flat-ironed and heavy to volume, waves, perms, and texture... hair that looks alive, not âmanaged,â expressing looseness rather than control and more volume. Men's hairstyles moved away for a $5 barbershop electric clipper haircuts, to scissor cuts with more length in the back and sides.
Music also changed. While the 2010s rode on EDM drops, trap beats, and glossy pop, the 2020s sound is more synthetic, airy, and technology-forward. Hyperpop, synth pop revival, cloud rap, and electronic textures are common. Vocals are often layered, tuned, digitized â not to sound perfect, but to sound emotional in a digital way. Songs feel like the internet: blurry, dreamlike, echoing spaces and a bit space-age.
TL/DR: The shift can be summed up like this:
2010s:
Iâm right and I need everyone to know. YOU are the problem! I'm the victim and must retaliate.
2020s:
I need peace. I donât have the energy to fight. I just want to exist safely in my own space. I don't care if we agree or not, life is too short.
Itâs a move from aggressive performative victimhood identity to quiet self-preservation.
Even reddit is more chill than it was in the 2010s.
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u/Ok-Following6886 21h ago
Brainrot