Gen Z's technology usage: flip phones, digital cameras, voice memos

• Individuals born after 1997 comprise Generation Z, commonly known as Gen Z or Zoomers.
• These youngsters, despite being tech-savvy, may surprise you with their unconventional use of gadgets such as flip phones and digital cameras.
• Here are the ins-and-outs of technology according to Gen Z.

The way Generation Z uses technology may surprise you, as they grew up surrounded by it.

The Pew Research Center defines Generation Z as individuals born after 1997. This generation has experienced the growth of smartphones, social media, and artificial intelligence in their lifetimes. Despite this, they still hold onto the memories of older technology.

The hashtag #oldschoolcamera has more than 1 billion views on TikTok after the devices were popularized by Gen Z’s desire to strike a more casual, nostalgic tone with their photos.

The younger generation will also teach you their unspoken rules for emoji use, capitalization, and more.

The youngest workers in the workforce use technology in a unique way, and there are some secrets to their methods.

Voice notes

While many Zoomers dislike phone conversations, using voice memos can help convey tone more effectively.

Messaging apps such as iMessage and WhatsApp have a feature called voice memos, which enables users to record messages in audio form.

Gen Z prefers using WhatsApp to send voice messages instead of typing long notes. In 2020, WhatsApp reported that its users sent an average of 7 billion voice messages daily.

Voice memos are a simple alternative to text for Zoomers who love the feature because it's easy to use without having to speak with someone on the other end simultaneously. Whether you have a story to share that would take a while to type out or you just don't want your tone to get lost in translation, voice memos are a convenient option.

Proper emoji usage

If you thought you had emojis figured out, think again.

The number of emojis worldwide is predicted to reach almost 3,500 this year, according to a report from Statista.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but with Gen Z, there's often more to emojis than meets the eye.

Gen Z prefers to use the loudly crying face emoji or the skull emoji instead of the traditional laughing emoji to express joy or laughter. When someone shares a joke, a popular response among members of Gen Z is the phrase “I’m dead,” which is why the skull emoji is commonly used.

Gen Z users will employ the clown face emoji to indicate when someone behaves foolishly or like a clown, while the eyes emoji signifies sly or cheeky intrigue, and the upside-down face denotes that things are not proceeding as planned.

It's possible that new trends will emerge among this generation's emoji usage.

No autocapitalization

Many Gen Z individuals have chosen to use lowercase letters instead of capital letters.

For years, Zoomers have opted to exclude capital letters in their digital communication, including texts and social media posts. They often disable the autocapitalization feature that is automatically enabled on smartphones.

For years, discourse on Twitter has centered around Gen Z's lack of punctuation. The platform is filled with playful banter calling out Zoomers for improper grammar and asking why Gen Z decided to "murder" the capital letter.

The answer to the murky situation is that there was never a secret virtual meeting to conspire against conventional English punctuation, and there are still many Zoomers who use the auto-capitalization feature.

The elimination of capital letters by Gen Z is a long-standing trend of the generation, with some saying it reflects their care-free aesthetic, while others believe it is a dig at capitalism and the establishment.

Group chat names

If you're in a group chat with Gen Z members, they may give it a name.

Gen Z often labels their group chats for practical or fun reasons, such as naming a group project or coming up with a creative name for a chat with friends or family.

In messaging services such as iMessage, any group member can modify the chat's name to their preference. However, unspoken agreements among chat members and the fear of a separate group chat being created without them are the only things that can prevent a name change.

Rewritten sentence: The naming of the conversation allows for easier searching when trying to find it if it is not one of your more recent ones.

You can rename a group chat in iMessage on an iPhone by tapping on the icons in the top center of the conversation, then pressing "Change Name and Photo." From there, you can type any name you desire. There's no obligation to do so.

Digital cameras

A digital camera is the epitome of Gen Z's tech trends, reminiscent of the early 2000s.

In 2019, over 60% of Gen Z owned or used a digital camera, and the market is predicted to grow by 2% annually until 2028, suggesting that Gen Z is likely to have contributed to this growth.

Digital cameras are ideal for Zoomers who enjoy capturing photos and maintaining a strong Instagram aesthetic. Not only do they evoke a sense of nostalgia, but they also offer superior flash and image quality compared to smartphones. The larger sensors found in cameras result in better image quality.

The experience of using a digital camera is also appealing to many Zoomers. Although the photos are not immediately accessible on their phones, they enjoy the delayed gratification of having to upload the images onto a desktop. This allows them to take photos with their friends and then forget about them until they have time to sit in front of a computer later, which helps them to be fully present in the moment.

Taking photos with a digital camera is a fun and creative alternative to using an iPhone, and the resulting images can add a new level of excitement to your Instagram feed or make your life feel like a professional photo shoot.

Photo filter apps

Instead of uploading photos to a computer or purchasing a digital camera, photo filter apps are a convenient option.

Numerous filter apps can be downloaded on smartphones, requiring users to upload photos and adjust visual properties such as brightness, white balance, or contrast. Popular Gen Z apps, such as VSCO, feature presets that instantly apply filters to images.

In recent years, Gen Z has revitalized filter apps that create photos with film-camera vibes, while a lot of Zoomers still use them to make their photos sharper, brighter or more colorful.

Some apps, such as Dazz Cam, allow users to instantly apply a film-like filter to their smartphone images, while others, like Dispo and Huji Cam, require a waiting period before photos are available for viewing, in an attempt to replicate the experience of using a film camera.

The popularity of filter apps among Gen Z is due to the same reasons as the revival of digital cameras: nostalgia and creativity. Film cameras produce a unique aesthetic with grainy and blurry photos, which can make social media posts stand out. However, Gen Z values ease, so these filter apps allow them to achieve the film camera look without the hassle.

Flip phones

The flip phone has been revived by Gen Z.

These tech-savvy youngsters are not completely abandoning their smartphones, but many members of Gen Z have purchased a second phone to remain present at social events. A recent study by Common Sense Media revealed that teenagers receive between hundreds and thousands of notifications daily, making it difficult to escape the constant stream of alerts.

Some Gen Z members are opting for flip phones as an alternative to smartphones. These affordable devices, available at retailers like Walmart and Best Buy, offer a break from constant notifications on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and text messages.

The hashtag #flipphone on TikTok has garnered over 830 million views, with users praising the devices' vintage cameras, their ability to minimize distractions, and their potential as engaging conversation starters.

Gen Z is unplugging from technology with the help of flip phones.

Dark mode

One way Gen Z customizes their smartphones is by switching from light to dark screen display mode.

Instead of having bright, white backgrounds, iPhones and Androids' dark mode feature black or other dark shades as the default screen background. This change is purely cosmetic and does not affect phone commands.

Another Gen Z trend that has persisted for a while.

Some Gen Z members find Zoom more comfortable on their eyes, while others prefer it for its battery-saving capabilities. On average, Zoomers spend 7 hours and 18 minutes on screens daily, according to Zippia data.

To switch your iPhone to light or dark mode, go to Settings, click on "Display & Brightness," and you will see the options.