The Instrument of Community Building: Why Gen-Z’s Obsession With Y2K Cameras Is Not As Bad As It Seems
My camera’s flash lights up the crowd, and my friends gather around to see the image on the small LCD screen. At every party or hangout, a little digital camera adorned with stickers and beads will be present. While the resurgence of pocket point‑and‑shoot digital cameras might seem like a fad, they have an ability of building community and remaining prevalent in teen culture compared to most trends.
In the last few years, digital cameras have become a staple in young teenagers' lives, with many carrying them for parties and events where they can share the pictures with their friends via SD card. The early 2000s were characterized as the “golden age” of accessible photography, where most consumers transitioned to digital point-and-shoot compact cameras. After the advent of smartphones in the late 2000s, such cameras began to die out, and “sales plunged by double digits year after year.”
As with many trends jump-started and shared through social media, the return of Y2K digital cameras has now been categorized by many as another “microtrend”. Popularized by social media, microtrends describe trends that rise and fall at a rapid pace.
Microtrends seem to affect younger teens harder as they often cannot decipher what they’ll still use in the future, and the pressure of fitting in with their peers often has a large effect on what they buy. Thus, many microtrends are divisive and cause people to spend money they might not have. Nonetheless, because of the cyclical nature of this trend, many people might already have these cameras lying around in their houses or borrow them from family or friends, making it easier to share memories.
While the spread of microtrends on social media can change consumers' perceptions of what objects/goods they truly need in their lives, digital cameras seem to have a unique effect on their consumers. Director of Photography for National Geographic, Sarah Leen, expresses that “photography is the universal language that speaks to the heart.”
As Leen describes, photography is one of the few art forms and professions that directly facilitates community building while being relatively accessible in our increasingly internet-reliant world. Taking pictures (whether through an iPhone or a Hasselblad, whether of a basketball game or a low-key get-together with friends) has always and will always be able to capture a fleeting moment and turn it into something that can last generations.
Contrary to popular opinion, not all microtrends are bad. Recent microtrends, like Sol de Janeiro lotions, Owala water bottles, and Sonny Angels, serve little purpose once consumers decide they no longer want them. With digital cameras, they retain their value for years, even if they are in poor condition. Pre-loved cameras are still coveted by thousands, “Y2K cameras” being a top-selling item on many reselling websites.
