As MP3 players, boy bands, and low-rise jeans return to pop culture, we have to wonder what it really means to “live like it’s the 2000s.” Is it the fashion? The music? The movies? While we figure out how to blend 2000s aesthetics with the 2026 world, authors like Marian Keyes provide insightful guides on what 2000s life was really like. We’ll explore Under the Duvet and what Keyes shares about girlhood, fashion, and friendship to help us unlock the 2000s life of our dreams.
It’s digital now, not ‘dot com’
For those of us who grew up in the 2000s, the world was an exciting place. Technology was something new and mysterious, and pop culture was booming with creativity. As we become the next generation of adults, we’re growing nostalgic for the imagined version of adulthood we had as kids, because, without a doubt, our world is much different from the “Dot Com” one of our childhoods. Back then, there were only about 740 million cell phone subscriptions around the world, and now, there are over 8 billion–more phones than the global population.
The time of digital cameras and Clueless-esque rom-coms doesn’t seem to exist for us anymore. At least, not in the same way.
Our world is engulfed in the digital, and technology is all around us. We rely on our phones, computers, and smart devices every day, sometimes without even realizing it.
Plus, social media can feel like a constant, looming presence. In 2025, the world spent an average of 11.5 billion hours on social media platforms every day. The online world is very different from the one we knew as kids, and that can be difficult to accept.
In the 2000s, when the internet was still a “place” where you could simply log on and off for a few minutes, we didn’t have a sense of digital stress. Now that the internet is a fixture of our lives, we often feel distant from each other, like we lack real-world connections.
So we’re looking to the 2000s for guidance and trying to remember what life was like without the internet in our pockets.
What life could be like
In hopes of achieving a more offline lifestyle, many Gen-Z are seeking out movies, shows, and music that defined the “2000s experience.” By diving into media from our childhood, we’re learning what made the 2000s so special and how we might recreate it.
Creators are also transforming their own memories into videos, like mood boards and makeup tutorials. This way, they can build a visual representation of the 2000s young adult life they dreamed of as kids.
But when we only rely on our childhood memories, we miss the broader picture of the 2000s era. We idealize the period instead of listening to others’ stories and experiences.
Luckily, documentaries and firsthand accounts allow us to enter the minds of the figures we idolize. And Marian Keyes’ essays are the perfect example, as they follow the life of an ordinary girl trying to be her own main character.
How I discovered Under the Duvet
As a lover of all things 2000s, I adore collecting items that feel like “2000s time capsules” and preserve the social culture I grew up in. Whether it’s CDs, clothes, or even tourist-style trinkets, it feels so special to find something reminiscent of my childhood.
Over the summer, I found a copy of Under the Duvet at a thrift store and was charmed by its pink, cutesy cover. I could tell the book would have a very girly, 2000s feel, reminiscent of shows like Sex And The City that gave the era its dreamy, hopeful energy.
This book is an amazing representation of life in the 2000s. I was reminded of my own memories, along with the stories I’d hear about my mom’s young adult life; when the ’99 historically changed into ’00. At its core, this book felt like girlhood–girls sharing stories at sleepovers or in a cafe over coffee. And what’s more 2000s than that?
Published in 2002, Under the Duvet is a collection of essays from Irish author Marian Keyes. She’s most famous for her 1995 novel Watermelon, which kick-started her writing career. These essays came after the novel’s release, as Keyes learned what it means to be a writer and “real adult.”
Keyes is offbeat, personal, and very funny. This book is a bit of a niche find, but reading it feels like vicariously living out her 2000s young adult life from the comfort of your bedroom.
Though I discovered the book about twenty years too late, Keyes’ personal stories still feel relatable. Sure, the world has changed. But her experiences remain a wonderful representation of what it means to grow up as a young woman.
All things fashion
When thinking “2000s,” fashion is definitely the first thing that comes to my mind. With bold combinations of fabrics and flashy colors, celebrities like Paris Hilton and Nelly dominated the eccentric fashion scene. These styles contradict myriad modern ones, especially the current sweatpants/sweatshirt frenzy. As we grow up and seek to develop a personal style, the 2000s are highly appealing because the options for personalization were endless.
In the chapter titled “Mind, Body, Spirit… and Shoes,” Keyes talks about everything fashion, from the “in” styles to her favorite items on the market. She’s a proclaimed “Imelda woman,” or shoe connoisseur, falling in love again and again with black stilettos or six-inch gold platforms.
With a mix of envy, awe, and sarcasm, Keyes gives raw, unfiltered fashion takes that are always hilarious. She dissects her personal bests and worsts of the 2000s mainstream style, looking to define her own sense of beauty and brand.
For fashion lovers and thrift store fanatics, Keyes offers critical insight into the true fashion “dos” and “don’ts” that dominated young adult life in the 2000s.
Dating and friends
With shows like Gilmore Girls and Friends at the center of 2000s pop culture, it may seem like everyone back then had a huge, close friend group. But these shows weren’t the reality for everyone, as friendship can be confusing and wild at times.
Keyes’ stories capture the tumultuous nature of friendships, highlighting her ups and downs as she meets new people. She gets roped into a number of crazy experiences–including spying on a women’s magazine headquarters–but reminds us that friends keep life exciting.
And when it comes to dating, Keyes doesn’t hold anything back. She jumps from making silly comments on her boyfriend’s interest in jazz to setting sarcastic rules for her future husband’s housework duties. Her internal monologue is extremely witty, emphasizing the challenges of being an independent woman in the 2000s dating scene.
Keyes’ stories are perfect examples of what it means to be yourself among other people, showcasing how complicated, silly, and amazing new relationships can be!
Technology
Of course, 2000s technology is what attracts many of us to the 2000s lifestyle. We love the idea of physical media and single-purpose devices where no internet is necessary. In a high-speed, tech-obsessed world, these devices make us feel more in control and grounded. And they give us a reason to step away from our phones.
Throughout the book, Keyes interacts with technology in a simplistic way that numerous readers find enviable. She’s privy to the experiences of wandering in search of a payphone and revolving her life around “Fridge, Telly, Bed.”
And since most young adults today haven’t encountered this kind of technology, it seems much more exciting than the phones we know!
It’s neat to see a life so different from our own and to learn more about the real challenges of being smartphone-free. As a generation looking to be less phone-dependent, stories like Keyes’s are deeply motivating and make an offline life seem even more romantic.
On girlhood
So many of the 2000s trends we love are built by girls, and for girls. In the wake of mainstream feminist movements like Lilith Fair in the ’90s, the 2000s produced a host of girl-power movies, songs, and messages that we still cherish today.
Under the Duvet is a phenomenal example of girlhood exploration. Keyes grapples with scattered identity, job changes, and fears about her future, being wholly honest with the audience about life’s challenges. Her stories are very relatable, from humorous blunders to sweet moments of reflection.
In this way, we can draw inspiration from her, using her stories and advice to reflect on our own lives. She shows readers the importance of strong relationships, moving past mistakes, and, ultimately, embracing our identities to the fullest.
The moments Keyes highlights are less “Hollywood perfect” than the movies and shows we’re familiar with. Instead, her stories are messy and clumsy, but a more accurate representation of real life.
Keyes emphasizes the core values of girlhood: the learning, failing, and succeeding that make all of us human. Under the Duvet reminds us that, no matter the era, much of what we experience is essential in becoming a young woman.
Making the past fashionable again
If a 2000s life is calling to you, then go beyond the nostalgic books and movies, and live it out yourself! Switching to physical media devices and participating in more in-person events are great ways to start. It’s critical to unplug sometimes and explore your community, just as Keyes does. It will feel more like the 2000s than ever before!
If you want to live like it’s the 2000s again, don’t just daydream about it! Let nostalgia motivate you to live offline and become the version of “adult you” that your childhood self would admire.
