According to The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 96% of teens report using the internet daily, and nearly half say they doomscroll incessantly.
However, teens are becoming more cognizant of the long-term, detrimental effects that social media has on their mental well-being, aiming to implement changes in their lives.
“I noticed that I turn to social media when I actually am the most busy, that’s when I try to fill any empty space in my life with noise and entertainment,” junior Camilla Joffrey said.
These apps are designed to be addictive, making teenagers glued to their screens. They take away their irretrievable time and replace it with constant distraction from life’s demands, making procrastination one of the most prevalent issues among teens.
“I don’t think that you can express yourself through social media; I think you can suppress yourself through social media, unless you are an influencer or someone who makes content daily,” Camilla said.
The cons of social media tend to outweigh the pros, failing to provide teens with the creative outlet that they seek. So, as a substitute, youth are replacing social media with physical media; items like vinyl records, digital cameras, and journaling are all making a comeback. What is the lure of these items?
“I think vinyls and CDs have a lot of rustic and retro charm to them, so the little imperfections in them feel more of an authentic way to listen to it, especially if it’s an older album, because that’s how fans back then listened to it,” sophomore Lilly Trautwein said.
Teenagers are transitioning from using Spotify on their phones to listening to music in formats that immerse them in the era in which the music was released. The analog nature of vinyl offers a warm, crisp audio quality that is hard to replicate in digital formats. The imperfections – like crackles, pops, and scratches – allow people to appreciate the raw craftsmanship of the recording.
People desire tangible ownership and crave the ability to possess media, rather than listening to Spotify through a subscription.
Fans appreciate the album cover art, posters, and packaging that make them more visually striking.
Digital cameras and Polaroids also offer an antiquarian allure that users aim to replicate in their photos and videos.
“I absolutely love digital cameras because I feel like they capture a memory in a more tinted, nostalgic, and sugar-coated way that’s less literal than an iPhone camera,” Camilla said.
The enticement of trendy digital cameras and Polaroids stems primarily from their nostalgic appeal. Older formats connect users to memories of tech moments from the 90s and 2000s that people idolize and crave to revive.
Journaling, another treasured analog activity, allows users to track their mood and reflect upon how far they’ve come with a sense of accomplishment.
“I love journaling because I love having times of my life stacked away and organized in a little book; it’s like reading a book about your life,” Camilla said.
Whether it be a therapeutic tool for mental health, a way to reflect on personal aspirations, or just a creative outlet, journaling allows people to reflect on their past from a nostalgic perspective, which makes us question: Does the analog revival reveal that we are all secretly chasing the cherished moments of our past?
