Retro technology is back — Gen Z is obsessed with digital and film cameras, flip phones, vinyl records and CDs. In the past, the target demographic for these products has been older generations reliving memories of their childhood. In recent years however, Gen Z has taken an interest in vintage tech, nostalgic for an era that they never got to experience.
43.2 million vinyl records were sold in 2023, according to data from Statista, an exponential increase compared to the less than a million sold in 2006. Viral social media posts have featured people choosing to take a flip phone instead of their smartphone for nights out, and ads on TikTok Shop throughout summer 2024 relentlessly promoted inexpensive digital cameras.
Nostalgia for a time past plays a role in this revival, but there are more reasons behind young people’s fascination with retro technology. Members of society today are overwhelmed by the endless barrage of information we receive online. The consumption of media has become impersonal and abstract, and Gen Z is taking a stand.
A primary factor in the revival of retro tech is the tactile experience for consumers. Unlike the immaterial nature of social media and modern technology, using items like vinyl records and film cameras offers a hands-on, tangible experience. Physically holding records from your collection or developing film from your camera is a completely different experience than streaming from Spotify or opening the camera app.
Brion Rushton, the vinyl purchaser for The Record Exchange in Boise, Idaho described the draw of tangible art and technology.
“It’s a human desire and need to be able to touch things and have a tactile relationship with objects,” Rushton said. “You feel more connected with something. It feels real. This [phone] is ephemeral. It’s nice to be able to hold something. It feels purposeful.”
The concrete nature of retro technology results in more intentional consumption than most modern media requires. While modern technology absolutely has its benefits, and has opened creative opportunities to a wider audience, streaming one of millions of songs or quickly snapping a photo on a smartphone entails a rather passive experience.
Opening Spotify or the camera app takes only a second, leading to a general lack of intention in how people consume and create art. Utilizing retro technology like a record player, film camera or CD player generally requires more time, energy and effort than modern tools, which entails a more purposeful process.
Rushton described this phenomenon using vinyl records as an example.
“Say you want to listen to a David Bowie record,” Rushton said. “You’ve got to take it out, put it on the player, you have to sit with it because you’re going to have to flip it over, and so you have to be present. That becomes the focus — enjoying the music.”
The retro revival has another benefit, particularly in the music industry, in the community fostered between artists and fans and between fans themselves. Purchasing records, CDs and other physical merchandise from artists yields a far larger profit to the creator than streaming does. Spotify, for instance, pays only between $0.003 and $0.005 per stream on average, while physical sales offer much higher per-unit profits for artists.
Not only does the revival of retro allow fans to more directly support their favorite creators, it also instills a sense of community and allows for more meaningful connections over art. The deliberate engagement with music and other forms of retro media, like film and digital cameras, brings people together over a shared love of tangible artistry.
Rushton highlighted the collective appreciation of retro technology that digital formats less frequently inspire.
“It can have a communal aspect to it,” Rushton said. “Whether it’s a party or just two people in a room, they’ve decided they’re going to play this record and everyone gives it their attention. That’s a beautiful thing, everyone gets to experience this music at the same time.”
Gen Z’s fascination with retro technology speaks to a desire for meaningful, tactile experiences in an increasingly digital world. While older generations indulge in nostalgia by revisiting their past, Gen Z’s embrace of film cameras, flip phones, vinyl records and CDs is an attempt to find authenticity and intentionality in a fast-paced, screen-saturated environment.
These vintage items offer a break from the convenience of modern technology, allowing users to slow down and more fully engage with their media.
