Young Consumers Navigating Nostalgia in a Hyper-Connected World
DETAILS
Young Consumers Navigating Nostalgia in a Hyper-Connected World
📢 Call for Papers
JOURNAL NAME: Young Consumers: Insight and Ideas for Responsible Marketers
PUBLISHER: Emerald Publishing
SUBMISSION OPENS: 21 January 2026
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 29 May 2026
ABOUT THIS SPECIAL ISSUE
Members of Gen Z and Gen Alpha — despite growing up in digitally saturated environments — routinely engage with retro aesthetics, analog products, and resurfaced memories through features like #Throwback, Facebook Memories, and TikTok's #nostalgia trend. These encounters have been shown to heighten positive affect, social connectedness, and identity continuity, revealing nostalgia as a key emotional driver in contemporary youth culture.
Pinterest reports a 385% surge in searches for "vintage aesthetic" among 18–24-year-olds, while 73% of Gen Z follow at least one brand on social media and 32% discover brands through influencers. These trends reflect the emergence of a platform–commerce nexus in which nostalgia is not just a cultural current but a key engagement strategy for youth marketing.
Despite nostalgia's strategic appeal, few academic studies directly examine how it functions within AI-enhanced, influencer-driven marketing ecosystems targeted at young consumers. There is also a lack of verified Gen Z sample studies, a need for research on longitudinal impacts — such as whether nostalgic campaigns generate lasting loyalty or only transient engagement — and under-theorized performative and cross-cultural expressions of nostalgia on platforms like TikTok.
This special issue invites contributions through a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches, including Consumer Culture Theory (CCT), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Perceived Value Theory, Social Identity Theory, and critical and cross-cultural frameworks that centre Gen Z and Gen Alpha as co-creators of nostalgic meaning in the digital age.
SCOPE & THEME AREAS
We invite submissions addressing (but not limited to) the following themes:
🔹 Nostalgia Marketing in the Digital Era
Marketing strategies for relaunching iconic brands to young consumers
The role of digital influencers in promoting retro products across platforms
Use of digital tools in recreating and modernizing nostalgic experiences for digital-native consumers
Effectiveness of nostalgia marketing across different cultural and generational contexts
Intergenerational transmission of nostalgic tastes and brand affinities
🔹 AI-Enhanced Hybrid Consumption Experiences
Utilizing AI to create hybrid brand experiences blending nostalgic elements with advanced technologies for Gen Z and Gen Alpha
AI-powered virtual influencers and their role in shaping young consumers' connection to retro aesthetics
Impact of AI-enhanced augmented reality (AR) in reviving nostalgic brand experiences for youth
Leveraging AI to predict emerging retro trends and their adoption by digital-native consumers
Role of AI in generating viral nostalgic content among youth on social media platforms
🔹 Emerging Youth Identities and Consumer Behaviours
AI analysis of "kidult" behaviour — balancing high-tech consumption with childhood products
The role of nostalgia in shaping Gen Z and Gen Alpha identity and belonging
Identity signalling through retro aesthetics in youth fashion, gaming, and entertainment
Youth resistance to hyper-digital environments through analog or nostalgic preferences
🔹 Ethical and Responsible Marketing Practices
Ethics of using AI to influence nostalgia-driven purchasing decisions in young consumers
Responsible brand storytelling and transparency in nostalgia campaigns targeting youth
Impact of nostalgia-based marketing on youth mental health and well-being
Regulating AI-powered nostalgia marketing — risks, safeguards, and ethical frameworks
Addressing algorithmic bias and fairness in nostalgic content delivery to youth
Promoting digital literacy and participatory approaches in nostalgia-based campaigns
GUEST EDITORS
Elodie Jouny-Rivier ✉️ Contact via journal submission system
Varsha Jain ✉️ Contact via journal submission system
Rebecca Perren ✉️ Contact via journal submission system
KEY DEADLINES & DATES
Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
Submissions Open | 21 January 2026 |
Submission Deadline | 29 May 2026 |
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
How to submit: Manuscripts must be submitted via ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access available at: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/yc
Author guidelines: Must be strictly followed. Full guidelines available at: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/yc
Selecting the special issue: At the appropriate submission step, authors must select the special issue title from the drop-down menu in response to "Please select the issue you are submitting to."
Eligibility: Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication elsewhere while under review.
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