The end of icons

As MTV and other iconic TV channels fade away, this is how Millennials and Gen Z process loss very differently

- Anjali Kochhar

When news broke that several of MTV’s iconic music channels would shut down by the end of 2025, it triggered an unexpected emotional wave across social media. It felt like a personal loss for many Millennials. For Gen Z, it barely registered.

The closure of MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV and MTV Live marked another quiet ending in a long list of disappearing cultural institutions. Before this, Cartoon Network shut down its official website in 2024, ending a 26-year digital playground for children of the late ’90s and early 2000s. In 2025, Skype, once synonymous with long-distance connection, officially retired.

Each shutdown sparked nostalgia, commentary and reflection. But reactions differed sharply across generations.

Millennial grief

For Millennials, media was not just content — it was ritual. Television meant fixed time slots, shared anticipation, and collective experience. Music discovery happened through countdowns and curated programming. Cartoons weren't algorithms; they were appointments.

Sneha Yadav, fashion analyst and NIFT alumna, explains: “Millennials feel the loss of platforms like MTV as a thing. The MTV channel was more than a media outlet; it marked a turning point for us. I remember waiting for time slots to watch movies and learn about music and culture like millions of people. Like Cartoon Network, MTV shaped our identity. When these platforms disappear, it feels like an important chapter of our lives ends.”

That sense of ritual shaped emotional attachment. Ankit Choudhary, 29, a Mumbai-based professional, says the news unsettled him more than he expected. “When I heard MTV was shutting down its music channels, it hit me suddenly. It was part of how I discovered music and culture. It felt like a memory turning off.”