Nostalgia nips at our heels – but it’s what we build today that becomes tomorrow’s legacy

This summer, Jaws turns 50.

And for many of us, the film still hits, nostalgia nipping at our heels like a fin in shallow water.

Because Jaws isn’t just a blockbuster. It’s a feeling. A moment you can’t quite place, but know by heart. That spine-tingling soundtrack. The hush in the room. A parent pretending not to be scared.

It’s not just a movie, it's a memory. Safety. Home.

We’re living in a world that rarely pauses. Trends flare up and vanish before we’ve had time to care.

The scroll is endless. Virality is momentary. And in the middle of it all, it’s no wonder we look back. Back to when things felt slower. Clearer. More human.

But that longing raises a tougher question:

What will our kids turn back to?

When they’re older, and the world feels heavy, what are the moments they’ll replay for comfort?

What becomes their anchor, in the storm of what’s still to come?

Because nostalgia isn’t just something we inherit, it’s something we create. And if we’re only chasing clicks and cutting corners for the algorithm, are we leaving anything lasting behind?

Every now and then, maybe it’s our job to press pause. To make something that lingers. Something real. Moments that aren’t built for likes, but for legacy.

Think of Barbie summer of 2023, unexpected, unfiltered, oddly profound. Or the roar at Glastonbury when Lewis Capaldi walked out to finish his set from two years before.

These are the modern echoes of Jaws. Moments that cut through the noise and carve out space in our memory.

So yes, nostalgia matters.

But so does what we choose to build today.

Not for attention. Not for virality.

But for the future sighs, the shared smiles, the things that will one day say - we were there.

Jax Davey, CEO and co-founder of Plus1 Assembly

LBC Opinion provides a platform for diverse opinions on current affairs and matters of public interest.

The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official LBC position.

To contact us, email opinion@lbc.co.uk