Does 2013 feel recent to you?

2013 does not feel recent as in new or yesteryear like maybe 2018 and definitely 2019, but not obsolete either or anywhere as dated 2008 and back or as retro as 2003 and back. 2013 kind of feels recent and it could be that I was a teenager in high school. Ask me again in late 2023 to 2024 or later. My answer might change then. I can still sense some cultural ties to 2013 from 2021. 2013 kickstarted 8th generation gaming era with the PS4 release that November and that seems to be going strong, although it may slow down soon due to the PS5. iPhones began to resemble what they are today in September 2013. Although since their 2020 update, I noticed some skeuomorphism coming back. GTA V is still huge and that game came out in September 2013.

Music also started slowly heading from the happy, go-lucky, club, party electropop sound into a more downbeat, depressing, and trap direction by late 2013 (Think Lorde's "Royals." That song was huge in fall 2013. I think the song peaked in December 2013.), which still continues somewhat today, although now those trends are stale and slowly leaving, but not without putting up a fight. Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Britney released albums in 2013 which flopped or did terribly. In contrast, their 2010 to 2012 output was more successful. Britney was the pop queen of the 2000s and she was still successful in the early 2010s (2010-2012). Ariana Grande released her debut album in 2013 and she is still popular today. I realize that dark music was around in late 2010 or 2011 with the Weeknd and Adele, but electro-pop music overshadowed those songs.

2013 kickstarted the binge-watching culture of today with "House of Cards" being Netflix's first original series. Blockbuster began to liquidate that November. Physical media was pretty much close to becoming obsolete. 2013 had almost no trace of the late 2000s. It may have been a tiny amount, but it was so insignificant. 2013 was the first year where I saw 93-95% of the population own a smartphone. I was a 14 to 15 year old high school student in 2013, freshman in the early half and sophomore in the latter half. January-May 2013 was great aside from a few hiccups, still had the early 2010s vibes, but also when the mid 2010s were clearly on their way. I even felt a change coming because the early 2010s culture already felt past its peak. I lost 30 pounds, came more out of my shell, and slowly started to resemble an older teen lol. June-July 2013 was when the year started to suck. August-December 2013 was trash, also when the cultural mid 2010s kicked in. I remember 2013 feeling almost completely disconnected from the 2000s. I thought this at the time. The Great Recession was almost an afterthought by late 2013.

The difference between 2013 and 2018 pales in comparison to 2003 and 2008. 2003 and 2008 were completely different worlds. 2003 was the early 2000s culturally, a conservative time before social media and physical media were still going strong. 2008 was the late 2000s culturally, a time when social media entered their prime and liberalism began to overshadow conservatism. Really the only things they shared were the president, maybe some shows, fashion, movie and music trends, but even that's pushing it because it seemed as if 2008 was almost the complete opposite of 2003. I get baffled why people group 2003 and 2008 together. They almost have nothing in common. 2013 and 2018 almost seem interchangeable asides from a few differences in music, fashion, and politics. Sure 2013 and 2018 had different presidents, but liberal and woke culture had a tight grip even with the growing conservative backlash. 2013 was the cultural mid 2010s and 2018 was the cultural late 2010s. I wouldn't mind if people grouped 2013 and 2018 together. 2010s political tensions really started brewing in 2013 with Black Lives Matter, safe spaces, and political correctness slowly started to become a thing, but of course politics would get worse in 2014 and beyond.