While swiping through TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest etc, teens are becoming inspired by influencers’ alluring posts by trading in the “traditional” iPhone camera for the wave of digital cameras, desiring a more nostalgic and curated aesthetic for their social media pages.
Natalia Bermudez ’26 owns a popular type of digital camera called the PowerShot G7 X Mark III, and owes social media for sparking her interest in digital photography.
“A lot of famous influencers I follow online advertised the camera I have, which is how I discovered it,” Bermudez said. “I think the settings on the camera are what make it stand out over a regular phone camera’s quality.”
Molly Kendall ’26, who has the same brand of camera as Bermudez got hers last year, agrees that social media is what drives the growing hype around the cameras.
“The exposure was especially large last year when people were promoting them or using them for social media posts last year,” Kendall said. “People also just love them since they make your pictures look tenfold better and more professional”.
The digital cameras aren’t only a trend, though; they’re an investment. Cameras can last up to a decade with high-quality care.
“I believe my camera was worth the price because I’ll have it for a long time and I dedicate my care to it,” Kendall said. “I want to cherish the memories captured on it forever.”
Not everybody is convinced by their hype, though. Tommy Brennan ’28, who does not own a digital camera, believes phone cameras are sufficient for teenagers.
“You have a built-in camera on your phone, so you can take a picture of anything at any time and shouldn’t even have to think about bringing another camera with you,” Brennan said. “ I don’t really understand the point of buying an expensive camera when we already have very pricey phone cameras that’s qualities get better every year.”
But it seems for teens, the digital camera craze is more about the social media look than the true aspect of photography. This is important since their prices range from $100 to $ 3,000 plus.
“I think it’s more of a social media thing now over a true photography hobby,” Bermudez said. “It’s best to buy a camera for around $200 if your sole purpose is to take cute pictures; otherwise, I don’t think you should be spending any more on them.”
