Discomfort with modern technology shapes Gen Z's desire to live in the past

Politics NewsDiscomfort with modern technology shapes Gen Z's desire to live in the pastIn the new NBC News Decision Desk poll, a plurality of young Americans said they’d choose to live in the past if they had the option.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleGen Z sparks comeback for iPhone 5c on social media05:14Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 24, 2026, 5:00 AM EDTBy Alexandra MarquezSome members of Gen Z are feeling so pessimistic about the future of the country and modern technology that they want to hop in a time machine.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Nearly half (47%) of adults ages 18-29 said if they had the option, they’d choose to live in the past, according to a new NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey. One-third said they’d pick a time period less than 50 years in the past, while another 14% said they’d choose more than 50 years in the past.Meanwhile, 38% of Gen Zers said they’d prefer to live in the present, 10% said they’d go less than 50 years in the future, and 5% chose more than 50 years in the future.The results were largely consistent across gender lines and partisan divides, though young Black adults were less likely to say they’d prefer to live in the past (33%) than young white adults (52%) or young Hispanic adults (47%).The broader sentiment underscores the negative outlook many young Americans feel about their future prospects and the state of the country. The poll found that 62% of Gen Z respondents said they expect life will be worse for them compared to previous generations, compared to 25% who said it will be better and 13% who said it would be about the same.And 80% of Gen Z adults said the United States is on the wrong track, the highest share of any age group in the survey.In interviews with NBC News, young adults said the desire to live in the past is shaped by their relationship with technolog...