At present, society is deeply entrenched in technology throughout virtually every aspect of life. Younger generations grew up never knowing a world without screens. But in the face of this online landscape, Gen Z seems to be taking a step back and fostering a new creative resistance in favor of nostalgia.
Looking back at the early 2000s and before, the internet functioned as a world separate from real life. Large desktop computers were bulky and immobile, making the internet a place that you entered and exited by logging on and off. Today, the internet is inescapable. Facing an ever-growing intersection between technology and daily life, Gen Z is beginning to crave simpler times and an escape from the overwhelming anxiety caused by being chronically online: 80% of Gen Z adults agree that today’s young people are too dependent on technology. Gen Z is very pro-tech, but as the internet takes an even greater hold over society, our generation is taking a pragmatic, oppositional approach through the nostalgic resurgence of vintage tech.
It’s no shock that the Y2K aesthetic has made a rebound in popular culture, but the retro resurgence represents more than just a recycled style trend. The renewed interest in flip phones isn’t just for the fun of slamming it shut when you hang up a call — it’s a call back to times of simplicity when phones were for communication with friends, not comparisons on social media. The Luddite Club, a group of New York City teens who deleted social media and traded their smartphones for flip phones, is just one example of young people fighting for human connection in a time of hyperconnectedness.
This call for a return to simpler technology can also be seen with the rising popularity of products like The Boring Phone, a limited functionality cellphone. Recently there was a 148% spike in “brick phone” sales among 18-24-year-olds, demonstrating strong interest in ditching the sleek, boutique aesthetic-based smartphones of today. Gen Z’s nostalgia-fueled pushback against our smartphones exemplifies how we can foster more genuine connection during a time of virtual artificiality.
Gen Z’s response to digital fatigue expands beyond just the return to flip phones. In fact, it spans a widely renewed interest in single-functionality tech as a whole, with many young adults listening to music on CDs and record players, taking pictures on digital cameras and even opting for DVDs instead of streaming services. By listening to music on CDs or record players, you get to own the physical media instead of streaming it. Disconnecting from the distractions of jumping on other apps allows you to better focus on the music — a perfect way to reclaim digital agency.
The rise in digital cameras similarly allows you to live more in the moment, rather than a partially split state between reality and the digital world. Digital or disposable cameras aren’t appealing — Gen Z is not using them merely for the vibes, but also because they let you enjoy what you’re capturing and worry less about how the actual photo is going to turn out. Older methods of photography allow you to live more in the moment, especially when the photos are going to turn out as a complete surprise. This delayed gratification is another one of the greatest parts about returning to more traditional methods of photography.
Gen Z’s vintage tech revival takes a strong step in the right direction by encouraging more people to live in the moment. But we need to look beyond the aesthetic qualities of using retro tech to see how it can change our outlook on life. Amid the present ubiquity of the internet and the scaled use of artificial intelligence, it seems that any kind of virtual slowdown is far from likely.
In lieu of trying to slow down technological development in society at large, we should continue Gen Z’s current efforts of finding small ways to step back from the virtual world. Getting a digital camera, listening to music on a CD player or trading your smartphone for a flip phone — no matter how obsolete it may seem — are great ways to step away from the cloud and toward reality.
WSN’s Opinion desk strives to publish ideas worth discussing. The views presented in the Opinion desk are solely the views of the writer.
Contact Yael Grosman at [email protected].