From taking pictures on Polaroid cameras to playing records and rocking vintage styles, one thing is clear—Gen Z is pretty fond of the past. And while our love for everything retro may seem like just a trend, it actually reveals how our generation is defining itself in an always-connected world.

With social media bringing the songs and styles of the past back into the spotlight, many teenagers feel a sense of nostalgia for earlier times as they choose digital cameras over their iPhone camera app and build their vinyl collections despite already paying $12 a month for Spotify Premium. Some teens on social media have gone as far as to claim they were "born in the wrong generation," believing their dream lives would resemble that of an 80s movie where they could watch MTV music videos or listen to Michael Jackson without a phone in sight.

So here's what's behind Gen Z's obsession with the past—and why we might just be viewing it with rose-tinted glasses.

Trends and Throwbacks

Social media apps thrive on trends, and the past provides a seemingly endless amount of material to ensure that apps like TikTok always have something fresh for users. When recent releases can't cut it, TikTok goes retro to find its next trending audio. Take Kate Bush's "Running up That Hill," a track originally released in 1985 but that became a song of the summer almost four decades later in 2022 after being prominently featured in season 4 of the hit series Stranger Things.

Image Credit: Dwayne joe from Unsplash

The same thing happens with style—when modern designs lose traction, fashion turns back the clock. Fashion trends continue to come and go in cycles as baggy jeans and oversized jackets, mainstays of 90s and 2000s skate culture, have become Gen Z's go-tos while skinny jeans are long forgotten. Many teenagers look to thrift stores to find vintage styles, and mall brands like Hollister and American Eagle have caught onto the craze, attempting to mimic that retro look from classic denim washes to sweatshirts with throwback sports graphics.

Take the Quiz: Which Bruno Mars Jam Matches Your Vibe?

Find out which Bruno Mars hit perfectly captures your unique style and energy!

'Buying' Into the Craze

Teens' purchasing patterns are the perfect display of how our generation continues to pick past over present. Everything in our modern world has gone digital, as a standard smartphone acts as a multi-purpose device that can take photos, play music, save notes, and tell time. Yet despite how much time Gen Z spends on their phones, and how many features said devices can provide, many teens have set their phones aside as they opt for digital cameras and record players instead.

Image Credit: Boris Dunand from Unsplash

Sure, the iPhone camera does its job—but the digicam does it better with its harsh flashes, cooler color tones, and that bit of digital grain you don't get with a phone. Teens want tactile experiences that go beyond a touchscreen, and the devices of the past are up for the job, from the satisfying click of the shutter to the textured weight of a record. According to surveys reported by Gearnews, 80% of Gen Z owns a record player, while the market for instant cameras expects to grow to $1.8 billion by 2033 according to the IMARC Group.

The numbers don't lie: the tech that looked to become obsolete? It's making a comeback.

But Why?

You'd have a hard time finding anyone in Gen Z without a smartphone to their name, yet we buy all these different devices to perform the same tasks a smartphone can do just as well. It sounds a little irrational when you put it like that, but when you think from a teen's perspective, our love for throwback tech actually makes quite a bit of sense.

With the first iPhone being announced in 2007, it's safe to say the teens of today have grown up on tech. While Steve Jobs blew the minds of millions worldwide when he unveiled the concept of the iPhone, the latter end of Gen Z accepts the device as simply a part of everyday life, not some genius invention that changed the trajectory of our world.

Image Credit: Onur Binay from Unsplash

By 2025, the smartphone has become a modern necessity. The existence of the Lifeline Program, a federal program in the United States that offers free or discounted phone service to low-income Americans, highlights just how vital the device is to everyday life. Without one, you risk missing the email about your AP test date, the text from your boss, and maybe even your ride home.

And as smartphones veer towards "necessity" a little more with every passing advancement, they aren't so fun anymore—especially if you've taken them for granted your entire life. Seen that way, of course teens are going to take photos on their vibrantly colored instant cameras over a touchscreen that feels more like an appliance and less like an adventure.

'Born in The Wrong Generation?'

While there's no doubt that rocking throwback styles and taking pictures on digicams is a lot of fun, is that really enough to warrant the claims of the handful of teens online who argue they were made for an earlier generation? Those vintage outfits are great, but where did you find those pieces? There's a good chance they were purchased online from Depop or Poshmark.

And the photos you took on that digital camera? Being uploaded to Instagram or TikTok on your $600 smartphone.

Image Credit: Erik Lucatero from Unsplash

The past wasn't just great music and cool styles: every decade had its own unique challenges and problems to live through. But while the present forces us to deal with the positive and the negative, we can pick which parts of the past we want to relive.

As for Gen Z, we've chosen the music, fashion, and technology we want to bring back, and our digital world supports this form of escapism. While a teen from the 70s would have a hard time finding music from previous decades aside from the big hits, modern teens have access to millions of songs on Spotify no matter their release date or current popularity. And before buying a digital camera to get that special look on a photo, you can find a number of in-depth reviews online to make an informed purchase.

In this way, Gen Z really does get the best of both worlds. That's why for our generation, the past isn't gone—it's been remastered for the present, with the right amount of grain to keep it charmingly imperfect.