The Resurgence of the Digital Camera
Graphic done by Aysa Taran
The 20-year trend cycle is a concept that has long been established and proven true as items once believed to be short-lived fads return less than a generation later. From 90’s mom jeans rematerializing in the late 2010s to the low-rise jeans of the aughts beginning to return today, when it comes to fashion, you can always be sure that pieces will reappear. However, the inevitability of the 20-year trend cycle does not seem to solely apply to fashion.
Reeling off the longstanding craze of the film camera,
which seemed to begin with pastel Instax polaroid cameras and evolved to include Kodak disposables and 35mm film cameras, the digital camera seems to have come back en vogue. I was first inclined to believe that the era of casual film photography had ended because the prices of these products have increased dramatically due to companies capitalizing on their demand. However, many of these trends diffuse through celebrities and influencers (Bella Hadid immediately coming to mind), who would not really be affected by film rolls doubling in price. Thus, I turn to the 20-year cycle as one explanation for the newfound popularity of digital cameras.
With the hashtag “digital camera” amassing over 150 million views on Tik Tok, which includes countless videos saying “this is your sign to buy a cheap digital camera!” the rise of the digital camera is unstoppable. Creators in their late teens and twenties are turning to the pocket-size Nikons of the 2000s, the photos possessing the same quality as those of their childhoods. I am struck by the reasoning behind the ever-present tendency to turn back to items that bring nostalgia, and wonder whether it is because of the perpetual state of turmoil that is our world today. I think that we all, to some degree or other, long for the familiar, for reminders of a simpler time, and that nostalgia that comes with taking photos on a digital camera is part of the charm and new popularity of digital photography in 2022.
Sources:
https://i-d.vice.com/en/article/4axqqb/digital-
https://www.crossedsabres.org/lifestyles/2022/03/17/20-year-fashion-cycle-haute-or-not/