Gen Z embracing physical photographs, printing twice as many snaps as other generations
Photographs are making a comeback thanks to Gen Z — who are printing twice as many snaps as older generations.
The poll, of 2,000 adults, found 43 percent people, aged 18 to 27, regularly turn digital photos into physical ones, compared to just five percent of Boomers (aged 60 to 78).
This is despite 42 percent believing modern tech is killing off old-school photographs.
The average Gen Z prints pictures four times-a-year — double the amount of any other generation.
It also emerged the typical adult has 1,598 photos on their phone camera roll, with millennials having the most at 2,574.
The research was commissioned by holiday park company Haven in a bid to encourage Brits to ‘free their memories’.
Pictures of family (60 percent), holidays (58 percent) and viewpoints (42 percent) are the most common shots taken on digital devices.
But 19 percent rarely look back at their camera roll, with over 65s the least likely to reminisce.
As a result, 14 percent often forget special moments and a fifth have lost memories altogether when their phone has been misplaced.
This phenomenon, coined as untapped-memory syndrome by psychologist Angharad Rudkin, refers to the process of ignoring photos and as a result losing precious memories.
Clinical Psychologist, Dr Angharad Rudkin, said: “Memories are an important part of our identity and sense of self.
“The stories we tell ourselves about who we are, where we come from and what we do are all based on our experiences.
“Shared memories are crucial for our relationships – remembering something you did with friends or family or a funny moment with someone can strengthen our sense of connectedness and reminds us of why these relationships are so important.”
The study also found 84 percent think holidays are important in creating reminiscences.
And 42 percent have fond memories of trips thanks to physical images, with an average of 82 photos taken per vacation.
A further four in 10 claim their earliest recollections are of time away with family, followed by school (39 percent) and going to the seaside (31 percent).
And 55 percent wish they had more photos up around the house than they currently do, because they forget such moments when they are not printed (41 percent).
Dr Angharad added: “When we build memories, information goes into the brain and is stored with other similar kinds of information which creates huge networks.
“It is believed emotions make memories easier to recall, so emotional events, such as holidays, are more likely to be vividly remembered.
“Technology can interfere with our recall, if we watch a moment using our phone to record it, rather than watching it directly then we can experience poorer memory formation.
“The best way to remember special moments is to take a couple photos, or a short video and then put your phone down.
“Revisiting memories frequently helps them to become stronger, this can be done by talking about them, looking at photographs and thinking about the moment in more detail.”
The OnePoll findings revealed 42 percent love looking at printed photos from their childhood and recalling memories, with the images leaving them feeling nostalgic (58 percent), happy (40 percent) and loved (22 percent).
A spokesperson for Haven, which will be hosting photo printing pop-ups on February 19th in Birmingham and February 21st in Manchester, added: “Our homes are our haven and so it’s no surprise that many of us wish we took the time to print more feel-good memories to have around us.
“We know life is busy and so enjoying more special moments with loved ones is important and it’s only natural we’d want to mark these occasions in some way.
“We’re passionate about helping families create memories that last a lifetime and that’s why we’re encouraging Brits to free their memories, helping them to enjoy those happy moments again and again while creating more richer, longer-lasting memories together.”
