Rolling into the school cafeteria with the newest smartphone was once the pinnacle of cool — but not anymore.
Today’s teenagers seek the opposite: They’re ditching modern tech for phones and cameras from the days of yore (AKA the early 2000s), per the The New York Times.
Uh, why?
The choice to part with a smartphone — and its top-tier camera — to bang out texts on T9 might seem a little confusing.
But old-school phones and cameras appeal to today’s teens:
- They can take photos without being on their cell phones.
- They get space from social media, which 36% of teens say they use too much.
Older digital cameras capture less detail and let in less light through their lenses, producing lower-quality photos. But blurry, vintage-looking photos are exactly what Gen Zers want to stand out from the crowd — and, ironically, to stand out on Instagram.
EBay searches for “digital camera” increased 10% from 2021 to 2022, with searches for specific camera models rising even more sharply (“Nikon COOLPIX,” for example, saw a 90% jump).
Y2K nostalgia…
… has gripped more than just the tech industry. It’s fueled the return of fashion trends like low-rise jeans and velour tracksuits, with brands like Juicy Couture, True Religion, and Abercrombie making lucrative comebacks.
So BRB, blasting Eminem and digging out our Razr phones.
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