DIY Rebirth: Will it Happen?

I teased this in last night's post, and this has been on the mind recently, so without firther ado... DIY CULTURE!!

What is "DIY" Culture?

"DIY" stands for "do it yourself." the reason it's referred to as "DIY CULTURE" is because of how widespread the concept of creating things from scratch had become. DIY culture started to become popular in the 50s, became pretty rampant during the 90s to mid 2010s, and eventually died out around the late 2010s and had a pretty big resurgance during the pandemic in 2020. DIY culture became popular because of its sustainability and customizability- you could choose to make a wallet out of regular grey duct tape, but you have been wanting a galaxy one instead, so you could choose galaxy duct tape instead. or you might want to spruce up your jeans with cute fabric undersneath the rips, you could choose what fabric you wanted to use. the variety and sustainability made it a popular thing for a while- and some still take on DIY today!!

Why Did it Start and How Did it Get So Big?

well, in the 2000s, the United States had multiple recessions- one in 2001 and another in 2008. this caused things to be pretty expensive, and people found it cheaper to make things themselves at home. it's important to remember that even if a recession lasts a few months or so, the effects can last for years afterwards- losing a long-standing career can make it hard to start over, especially when that career funded much of your life. the united states is one of the most influential nations in the world (for better or for worse), so seeing so many people show off the stuff they made from scratch likely inspired others around the world to do the same. while there was also a short recession in 2020, much of the DIY mentality at the time was due to the pandemic- people needed to find new ways of keeping themselves entertained, so they took to learning how to make things from scratch- from clothes, to accessories, to full on recipes!! it definitely helped that a short time after the first recession (in 2001), social media started to take off, and people could share tutorial after tutorial to millions of people online- ESPECIALLY with youtube getting started in 2005!! channels like Five Minute Crafts and Troom Troom were pretty big back in the 2010s, and DIY compilations like this one started popping up a LOT back in the early 2020s (feels weird to say, but you know what i mean). so if DIY cultuer was so popular, AND so cool...

Why Did the DIY Scene Die Out??

for starters... the economy eventually getting better is a big reason. people no longer felt the need to make things themselves, because it was more time efficient to buy things. it also helps that a lot of big-name corporations caught up with trending aesthetics in the 2010s- galaxy print was on EVERYTHING back in the day!! those cute cat-ear headbands and flower crowns everyone was making started popping up at common chain stores like claires, target, or even hot topic- why make it yourself when you can buy it for twelve bucks? combined with this, we have reason number two: there's been a massive shift in minimalist design- something DIY definitetly wasnt. think logos becoming oversimplified, or modern house renovations, or even technology having overall the same vibe and feel regardless of brand. everything is simple-looking now, and DIY... wasnt. over time, the mass majority of people began to financially consume and support stuff with more simple, minimalistic aesthetics to them, which lead to them becoming overall preferred. reason number three is because of the pandemic- people rebranded a lot of these things as hobbies. it isnt necessarily a wrong assumption, but knowing how to make things from scratch isnt just a hobby- it's a skill, sometimes a LIFE skill!! fast fashion has a lot to do with this- why spend my weekend personalizing a shirt to the way i want it if i can just buy the same shirt from shien or temu for twelve bucks? or another example- why make my own dinner when i can just doordash it from some cheap fast food spot? i get that being able to buy cheap items is more convenient than making them by hand, but cooking is quite literally a basic life skill!! so with the recent tarrifs in america and the independent media scene being pretty popular now...

WILL IT COME BACK?

my theory is: YES. i think it'll make a comeback soon- since everything costs way more, it's much more efficient to make stuff at home for less. with the amount of free tutorials there are online, it'll be pretty easy for almost anyone to join!! additionally, a lot of people online seem to be pretty nostalgic from what ive seen, and have been wanting to bring back the vibes of the DIY scene, so it might just happen!!

for my final announcement... i am starting a NEWS-BASED BLOG!! im gonna try to make weekly posts like this over there, so... go and subscribe if you're interested!!

so, what are your thoughts? do you think DIY is coming back? let me know in the comments below!!