Degree

BS (Social Sciences & Liberal Arts)

Faculty / School

School of Economics and Social Sciences (SESS)

Department

Department of Social Sciences & Liberal Arts

Date of Award

Spring 2024

Date of Submission

2024-09-08

Advisor

Aliya Iqbal Naqvi, Faculty Member, Department of Social Sciences

Project Type

SSLA Culminating Experience

Access Type

Restricted Access

Keywords

Nostalgia, Bollywood, Instagram, Young Adulthood, Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

In today's fast-moving world, young adults in developing countries like Pakistan face numerous threats to their mental health and sense of self while striving to achieve their goals. Adversities experienced in the process often makes them reminisce about a more carefree time in their lives, their childhood and adolescence, particularly with music from these eras trending on social media platforms. This study explored whether these feelings of nostalgia as a result of resurgence of evergreen Bollywood music on Instagram reels serve as a coping mechanism in avid Bollywood music fans in urban Pakistan. It was hypothesized that nostalgic Bollywood music regulates hedonic and eudemonic wellbeing, promotes authenticity of self, and quells the need of AI-generated music to reconnect with the past. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was employed to first gather preliminary, quantitative data from 120 young adults enrolled or recently graduated from an undergraduate program and to then collect in-depth, qualitative data from 6 interviewees to comprehend initial outcomes. It was found that nostalgic Bollywood music effectively regulated wellbeing amongst its avid listeners by providing emotional comfort, stress relief, meaningful relationships, and personal growth. Moreover, it authenticated their sense of self by affirming identity, cultural values, and ideals. However, its efficacy as a coping mechanism is tied to an individual’s memories, attachment to particular songs and overall consumption and preference for Bollywood. Further research is recommended in integrating nostalgia in therapeutic interventions to assist young adults in Pakistan in their transition towards practical life.

Pages

(vii, 103)

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