It's 2026, So Why Are Campers Nostalgic for 1996?

The dream of the 90's is alive at Camp New Heights. We've noticed over the past few years that campers have become super nostalgic for the 90's/early 2000's. Why is this happening? I was there. I remember it being super awkward, but the music was pretty great.

So why has the fashion come full circle (JNCO jeans are back!)? Why do campers pine for a time of yesteryear that they weren't even alive for? Why does camp scratch this itch?

My theory of the case is that this era was the last time we were close to a true monolith of society. We watched TV at the set time it aired, in a way watching it together. We consumed new music simultaneously as it dropped in stores. The absence of cell phones made us ever present in the moment when we hung out. The pining for that feeling comes from a lack of community and tribalism today. Tribalism still exists in a political sense, but it does not exist in a pop culture, everyday, consumable way.

Campers are longing for a distinctive feeling that has not really existed in their lifetime. I also think this is why the last two decades have been such a blur. People reminisce about the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, but rarely about ten years ago. From around 2010 to 2025, we lost a signature cultural feel. We are almost confined to COVID as a benchmark moment now, but outside of that, nothing gives those fifteen years a defining identity. The loss of that shared community feeling has left us feeling more rudderless than before.

The 90’s and early 2000’s cultivated fewer cultural boxes. When meeting someone, the chance of pop culture overlap was significant. Someone might not have watched Friends, but they probably watched Seinfeld. The same was true with music. The odds of overlap were high. Today, a camper might have a favorite artist with 5,000 monthly plays on Spotify, and the chance of overlap is low. So how does camp scratch this itch for community and tribalism?

At camp, we are doing everything together without phones. During that time, we consume the same music and the same TV shows and movies. It harkens back to a time when those tribal circles were broad. When we go to State Street, there are groups that like to go to A, B, and C stores, and others who prefer X, Y, and Z. This ability for campers to find their people and connect with them is unlike anything else in the outside world today.

While the last decade and a half lacks a signature feel, every year of camp has a tangible one. Each year is lightning in a bottle, with signature moments and memories that define it. Ask a camper to reminisce about camp, and they can tell you exactly what year something happened. Ask them to do the same about their normal life, and pinpointing the exact year is nearly impossible.

This is not to say camp and campers are a monolith. This shared community and camaraderie are what make camp a special place, one that is rarely, if ever, fully understood by those on the outside. Ask a camper sleeves or sleeveless, and they will have a definitive answer. Ask oceanside or mountainside, and they will respond emphatically.

Camp is a magical place because of the culture that surrounds it. That culture is far more akin to a 90’s feel than to the modern day, where every camper is their own social media marketing manager. Camp offers campers both independence and freedom from their parents, while simultaneously allowing them to be kids and teenagers without the overbearing weight of the outside world.

So while camp is not resurrecting VHS tapes or teaching Riverdance in dance class, the simpler community feel of the 90’s is alive and well at Camp New Heights.

We've already discussed previously how we have zero intention of ever being like the camps that preceded us in the 90's in our blog post: Time To Get Rid of The Stigma Around Weight Loss Camps. We're still centered in a much more holistic approach to teaching campers who to live their best life and be informed consumers. We strive to give our campers the skills and tools necessary to be successful outside of camp. All that being said, we know that the NorthStar of camp is community and belonging. It's why we spend countless hours every year planning how to better position camp to best serve the campers and the community that they form.

We're excited for 2026 and we look forward to continuing to evolve to best serve our campers and give them an incredible summer camp experience.