Gen Z has long been blamed for trends like the return of single-digit megapixel compact cameras and the rise of disposable film cameras – but a new study hints that a large majority of those between the ages of 13 and 39 use analog tech.
According to a study from YPulse , as much as two-thirds of Gen Z and younger Millennials use analog tech. That tech includes not just old digicams, instant film, and film cameras but tech outside of photography as well – including vinyl records and flip phones.
The statistic comes from a survey of around 1,500 people in the US and Canada between the ages of 13 and 39. The same market research company focused on the younger generations suggested that the trend is driven largely by digital burnout.
Vintage tech has been on the rise over the past few years – but for a 16-year-old picking up a film camera, it’s not about nostalgia. The rise in analog film cameras, instant film, and screen-free digital cameras rides on a greater movement toward being mindful of screen time.
For photography tech, part of that movement could also stem from a desire for photos that are less perfected and feel more like a memory. That movement feels particularly notable amid the rise of generative AI.
The report from YPulse is far from the only report putting numbers to the rise in analog tech and “anemoia, or the “nostalgia” for a time that you weren’t even alive for. Fortune described the analog tech movement as “at least a $5 billion opportunity.”
PEW Research Center has noted the rise of teenagers who reported being online “almost constantly” compared with a decade ago. While four in ten of those age 13 to 17 say they are almost constantly online, 2025’s numbers saw a slight dip in those numbers, the first time since 2022.
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For new tech that feels old, try a screen-free digital camera or a hybrid digital instant camera.
