most 5 year gaps aren’t going to show much difference but i still feel that we’re firmly in the 2020s pop culture and have left the late 2010s behind for the most part
differences between 2018 & 2023:
- trump is no longer president (and is now indicted
)
- 9th gen gaming
- 2023 is post-covid (the shadow of covid is still here, some people occasionally will wear masks, and hand sanitizer and mask dispensers are readily accessible and commonplace in public spaces now, unlike just a few years ago)
- tiktok is the main social media app and is defining the zeitgeist
- baggier “gen z” fashion is now common in 2023 but was still niche in 2018
- AI has grown so much and is influencing culture right now
- more people now are using wireless headphones and contactless payments than in the late 2010s (also most smartphones are buttonless and notchless)
- streaming is king with plenty of streaming services nowadays, most of which didn’t even exist yet in 2018. some popular shows were still on cable in 2018 despite streaming taking over
- 2010s tv franchises were still relevant in 2018 (adventure time/GoT/modern family/ scandal/orange is the new black/etc.) and the mcu was still peaking. in 2023 newer shows define the time and the vibe (euphoria, squid game, wednesday, white lotus,etc) and the mcu is losing popularity (also a lot DC films are widely loved nowadays, such as Joker and The Batman)
- trap isn’t the template for pop or even hip hop music anymore (and overall pop music sounds less edgy and moody than the late 10s)
- 2023 is core gen z youth culture unlike 2018
- 2010s music artists are still here but newer artists are defining the youth culture (olivia rodrigo, lil nas x, doja cat, etc)