Gen Z Are Ditching the Camera App and Using This Instead
“I’m Never Going Back”: Gen Z Are Ditching Their Phone Cameras For Good
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Selfie taken on iPhone's default camera. Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography/Lauren Gordon
"They are incredible, the best pictures I've ever seen," creator Ella Darcy told TikTok in her video which has over three million views so far. In the clip, she tries taking selfies using TikTok's camera setting, rather than her smartphone camera app, which she claims decreases the quality of her snaps, saying: "The quality of the picture before you take it is better than when you actually take it."
Darcy is amongst a wave of Gen Zers that are moving away from their smartphone cameras, and instead are using apps like TikTok and Snapchat to take their pictures — and in particular, their selfies. There's been a rise in reports around Gen Z ditching their phone cameras for Y2K-style digital cameras, but now it seems that even when they're using their phones, the camera app is still being bypassed.
Having tested the three, I can clearly see that the selfies I took using Snapchat and TikTok look less defined and smoother, while my iPhone camera selfie looks crispy and the imperfections in my face are more noticeable compared to the selfies I took on the social media apps. So I was immediately able to resonate with Darcy and the users in her comments, who shared their love of TikTok and Snapchat cameras over their standard smartphone camera app in the hundreds.
"TikTok photos are amazing for real," commenters on Darcy's post said. "I've been using the Snapchat camera over the actual iPhone camera for like 10 years. Never going back," added another. One said: "I've been taking mine through my TikTok for a while now," "I've never taken a picture on my iPhone, it's always on Snapchat." "I only take selfies on Snapchat for this reason," one user wrote.
Left to Right: Selfie taken on Snapchat and TikTok. Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography/Lauren Gordon
Ben Wymer, Director Global Brand Experience at Snapchat revealed the reason why he believes the Snapchat camera trumps the standard smartphone camera, telling PS UK: "We don't flip the camera like the smartphone camera does. So when taking selfies with friends, we show you the reflection you're used to seeing in the mirror."
The use of TikTok and Snapchat camera lenses are a part of a growing shift in the way Gen Z capture pictures. You might have also seen the 0.5 zoom setting on the iPhone camera app that has made waves online and sees youngsters stretching out their arms and flipping their phones to use their back camera instead of using the front camera view. It gives the zoomed-out effect we were subject to with our brick phones and Blackberrys back in the day. I recently watched "The Bling Ring" and was enthralled by their use of the back camera, the bright flash and how, each time, the pictures came out perfect. These seem to be 'the good ol' days' that Gen Z are keen to experience.
@elladarcy28 Thank you Tik Tok 👏🏼😍 #tiktokphotos
♬ original sound - Ella Darcy
The rise of the digital camera continues to take over social media, with the younger generation also opting for point-and-shoot cameras, preferring the blurred, vintage look and a Y2K effect of the images. But there are also are apps like Huji Cam, Dispo and Dazz Cam that mimic the photo style of single-use disposable cameras, Polaroids and other classic cameras. And the app POV only allows you to see your snaps the next day, so you spend less time mulling over your best shot and more time in the moment, like people had to before the days of digital snaps.
There's also been a rise in sales of polaroid cameras, printers and developers and according to the recent Instant Print Camera Market research report, the instant print camera market is anticipated to rise globally at a considerable rate between 2023 and 2031.
I bought an Instax Mini Instant Camera (£75) a few years ago from Depop and used it religiously, before recieving the Instax Mini Link Smartphone Printer (£90) as a gift, which lets me pick and print pictures from my phone onto the polaroid film. Though pricey, it adds an authentic, vintage feel to my photos, that sparks nostalgia whenever I look back at them. My friends and I also regularly print photos from our phones using apps like FreePrints and Snapfish, because our photographed memories are subject to our smartphones being in working order and in our possession.
So while my mates and I have yet to cave into the digital camera craze, one thing is clear — we're moving away from our smartphone cameras, preferring the practicality of disposable camera apps, social media selfie cameras and polaroid prints.
Lauren Gordon is the editorial coordinator at PS UK, where she creates lifestyle and identity content. Lauren has a degree in journalism from University of the Arts London and previously worked as a showbiz and TV reporter at The Mirror US. Lauren specialises in pop culture, hair and beauty, focusing on trends, sharing in-depth tutorials, and highlighting hidden gems in the beauty industry.
