Why Gen Z is Revisiting Retro Technology
By Dorothy Vazquez
In an age of incessant notifications, instant uploads and endless scrolling, Gen Z is beginning to look backward. Devices once considered outdated — such as digital cameras, CD players and even early handheld gaming systems — are reappearing among young people who grew up almost entirely with smartphones.
While few are abandoning modern technology completely, many are reintroducing older devices into their daily lives. Digital cameras in particular have become popular again, especially among young users who say the experience feels different from simply taking photos on a phone.
Yumalay Garcia, an 18-year-old psychology major at Chaffey College, said she has noticed the trend becoming more visible among people her age.
“I feel like people are using old cameras more because of the aesthetic,” Garcia said. “It brings people back to the feeling they had growing up.”
Garcia said she has also seen examples of the trend online, including videos where families record everyday moments using older cameras rather than smartphones.
“It felt so homey and so realistic,” Garcia said. “It felt like you were actually there.”
For Alexia Morales, an 18-year-old nursing major at Chaffey College, the appeal of retro technology is tied to the idea of physical memories rather than purely digital ones.
“I have a CD player and a digital camera,” Morales said. “Even though the quality on phones is better, it does not feel as memorable as having something physical.”
Morales said social media can sometimes influence how people present their lives online, which may make older technology feel more genuine by comparison.
“Sometimes I see other people’s pages and everything looks perfect,” Morales said. “Even though I know I do things too, it can still make you feel like you do not.”
Older devices can feel less tied to social media expectations. Instead of taking photos primarily to post online, retro technology encourages people to focus more on the moment itself.
“With a digital camera, you’re taking pictures to remember the moment,” Morales said. “It is not just about posting it online.”
Garcia added that social media itself can feel overwhelming at times.
“It is exhausting,” Garcia said. “Social media can be a toxic environment if you’re on it for too long.”
This growing interest in older devices is often described as digital nostalgia — a cultural trend in which people revisit older technology, media or aesthetics from earlier eras of the internet.
Even though many Gen Z users were too young to fully experience early-2000s technology, the period is often romanticized as simpler and less overwhelming.
Rebecca Brewer, a professor in the Child Development and Education department at Chaffey College, said trends like these are common across generations.
“Everything eventually comes back around,” Brewer said. “We see it in fashion, hairstyles and technology.”
Brewer said younger generations may also be drawn to older devices because they offer a new experience for people who never used them before.
“For someone my age, flip phones or instant cameras are not anything new,” Brewer said. “But for younger people, it is something they’ve never tried before.”
At the same time, Brewer said modern technology still provides conveniences that are difficult to replace.
“I like having my phone,” Brewer said. “I can check my email, look things up, FaceTime people. There’s so much more you can do with technology now.”
Despite those advantages, the renewed interest in retro devices may reflect something deeper about how young people want to experience the digital world. Rather than rejecting modern technology completely, some Gen Z users appear to be experimenting with ways to balance constant connectivity with slower, more intentional moments.
Ruby Arias, an 18-year-old graphic design major at Chaffey College, said the trend is not always about convenience, but curiosity and expression.
“People do not really use it for convenience,” Arias said. “They use it because it is cool… for the aesthetic and the nostalgia.”
Arias added that part of the appeal also comes from wanting to connect—both with past generations and with others in the present.
“It is a way to connect,” Arias said. “Whether it is with older generations or just people around you.”
Free from the pressure to constantly post or compare online, older technology allows for more genuine interactions and shared experiences.
For Arias, that difference reflects a larger desire among Gen Z to reconnect with something more real.
“We crave community,” Arias said.
As digital culture continues to evolve, the appeal of retro technology suggests that for some Gen Z users, the goal is not to disconnect entirely, but to find a more meaningful way to stay connected—to their experiences, and to each other.