In a culture built on instant gratification, yearning—the ache of wanting something out of reach—has returned as a theme in entertainment and online life. It blends desire with distance, nostalgia with uncertainty. The appeal is not only in getting what one wants; it is also in the wanting itself, which can feel more thrilling than fulfillment.
In the romantic sense, yearning has been one of the biggest entertainment themes of the past couple of years. The Summer I Turned Pretty, Heated Rivalry and the latest big-screen adaptation of Sense and Sensibility have drawn on unmet desire and slow-burn love rather than hasty happy endings. On TikTok, recommendations circulate for users who want to #feeltheyearn. But yearning is not confined to romance. It can attach to a place, a time of life or something as ordinary as a day off.
People on the streets of Glasgow were asked a simple question: “What are you yearning for right now?” Their answers ranged from the sea and family gatherings to a gym session, a K-pop collaboration and, for some, nothing at all.
A place by the sea
Elizabeth Kennedy, 63, retired, is from the northeast of England and yearns for a place beside the sea. She described longing for somewhere she lived before that is probably no longer there anyway. “It’s more the idea of it,” she said: something she had that would not necessarily be there if she returned. Kennedy also suggested that yearning can be seen as a weakness, so people who are pining more than they used to may not want to share it.
Friendships and relationships
Adam Hamill, 24, student, said he feels as if he pines for things he has in abundance. He places great value on his friendships and relationships and yearns for them in quiet moments, even though they are present in his life. Hamill argued that people have always yearned—Virginia Woolf was pining for things, he noted—but that they are pining more openly now, especially on social media.
Training at the gym
Erys, 26, student, is a mixed martial artist who has not been able to get to the gym for a while. Erys said the absence has produced a current yearning to return. “It’s natural to yearn for something—you learn to enjoy the process,” Erys said. After a week away, a session can feel more worthwhile than it would after daily attendance.
Home in Oman
Manar, 21, student, has recently been yearning for home in Oman and hopes to return for Christmas or the holidays. Manar said people have lately been romanticizing yearning: the feeling may have existed before, but now they are labeling it and emphasizing how much they enjoy the act of yearning.
A day off
Declan, 30, actor and salesman, has been working a great deal and yearns for a day off. Declan sees a broader longing for human connection as more of life moves online, from shopping to dating. “The human touch is missing for a lot of people,” Declan said, pointing to loneliness and a desire for something deeper.
Nothing
Ann Walker, 67, retired, does not yearn. She knows many people who do, but she takes each day as it comes and believes that what is for you will not go by you. If she cannot afford something, such as a bigger house, she does not get it. Walker said she is quite happy with what she has. In her view, much of what people yearn for is materialistic; she keeps her possessions for years rather than following fashions.
Meeting a K-pop idol
Yuntan, 22, student, approaches goals and dreams by planning step by step. A K-pop fan, Yuntan particularly likes Anton from Riize, describing him as very handsome, and yearns to work with idols. Yuntan is currently studying contemporary art theory. Yearning can be enjoyable, Yuntan said, as long as a person is not too anxious about it: “You just have to wait.”
Family get-togethers
Elizabeth Harvey, 72, retired nurse, yearns for family get-togethers and misses them. She has been organizing one for next year because such events must be booked in advance. Harvey said she is not longing for anything more than usual and is quite happy: she has her health and can get out and about, which she called the main thing.
Very little
Steve, 63, self-employed stage manager, sees many people yearning for a mythical UK that they believe existed about 50 years ago, although in his view it never really did. He described that as a very low-grade nostalgia. On a personal level, Steve said he does not really yearn and is extremely content. He does not have a television; he goes online, but believes life is too short to spend staring at a “gogglebox.”
My best friend
Delchie, 19, yearns for her best friend—even though the friend is already here. “I want her under my skin,” Delchie said. She sometimes yearns to go to places, but with a specific, special person. Delchie said she yearns more for people than for things. Everyone is different, she added: not everyone enjoys the experience of longing, but it can be fun.
Holidays and experiences
Madeline, 24, student, believes people may yearn for other people but not so much for things, because everything is so accessible now. In her view, people do not like to wait and are no longer very patient. Madeline likes the idea that yearning can take time and make an experience more appreciated. She was on holiday with a friend, celebrating 10 years of their friendship, and said they had been yearning for the trip.
Nothing at the moment
Reece Ruddick, 18, student, is not yearning for anything specific. Ruddick thinks the idea of yearning has become overused: people will be single for, say, four months and say they are yearning to be in a relationship again. But it is possible to tell when someone is genuinely yearning for something and when the word is just a buzzword.
Across the responses, yearning took both romantic and everyday forms: a coastline, a friend’s presence, a return visit, a training session, a family table. Some described it as a source of motivation and pleasure; others saw it as a weakness, a buzzword or a distraction from the present. Several said they had no need of it at all.