How does the Wild West exist now? What does it mean to be "Western" in the 21st century?
This answer deals with the mythos of the Wild West, its aesthetic, and its themes. If you're looking for a history lesson, look elsewhere.
The themes of the Wild West have always been themes of nostalgia, of longing, of a fondness for a glorified past. Though the reality of that past may be left up for debate, the feeling of its presence is undeniable. Call it aesthetic, call it zeitgeist, call it whatever you want -- it's a concept whose presence commands you to recognize it.
Perhaps the most emotional weight of the Western is its constant setting in the death throes of a soon-to-be bygone era. No other setting is so completely defined by the disappearance of the "gold old days" in the face of an imminent but uncertain and uncomfortable future. Whether that change is civilization, industrialization, or what have you is irrelevant. It is a genre defined by its own transition.
What does this mean in the 21st century? Those who grew up in the infancy of the internet will recall the halcyon days of anonymity and lawlessness, hidden from the view of social media giants, corporations, and nation-states. It is a yearning for that past and an uncertainty towards a future that has presented unprecedented change over the past 15 years compared to the past 50-70 years.
In that interim, the Western lives on.
