vaportype

Vaportype is a term that emerged within internet culture, particularly around the late 2010s, to describe a specific aesthetic and thematic style. It is often associated with vaporwave music and art, sharing many of its core characteristics. The aesthetic typically involves a nostalgic and melancholic reimagining of early internet culture, 1980s and 1990s consumerism, and Japanese city pop. Visual elements commonly include glitches, distorted imagery, classical sculptures, pastel color palettes, and early computer graphics. Thematically, vaportype often explores feelings of alienation, consumer society critique, and a sense of longing for a past that may never have truly existed.

The term itself is a portmanteau, combining "vapor" from vaporwave and "type," suggesting a categorization or a specific kind of digital expression. It is not a formally recognized artistic movement but rather a loosely defined online subculture. Users who identify with or create vaportype content often engage with it through social media platforms, forums, and image-sharing websites. The appeal of vaportype lies in its ability to evoke a specific emotional response through a curated blend of retro-futuristic imagery and sound. It is a form of digital art that reflects on memory, technology, and the pervasive influence of media in shaping our perception of time and experience.