Smartphones are a cornerstone of contemporary life and are changing the way we see the world and show it to others. Almost 90% of Australians have themand we spend on average 5.6 hours using them daily. Smartphones are also liable for greater than 90% of all photos taken this 12 months.
But compare a 60-year-old’s camera roll to a 13-year-old’s, as we did recently, and you will notice some surprising differences. IN research published in the Journal of Visual Literacywe checked out how different generations use smartphones to take photos, in addition to the broader trends that show how these devices are changing the way we see the world.
Here are five patterns we observed.
1. We take photos in a more casual way and on a broader topic
Before the first smartphone camera was released in 2007, cameras were used more selectively and for narrower purposes. You might only see them at events like weddings and graduations or at popular tourist spots during the holidays.
Now they’re ubiquitous in on a regular basis life. We use smartphones to document our meals, each day progress at the gym and classes, and the more “special” moments in our lives.
TJ Thomson
Many middle-aged people use smartphones mostly for work-related purposes. One of our participants put it this way:
I often take photos of data I would like to record or clients’ work, then email them to myself and put them on my computer. I feel like I form of neglect taking photos of my friends in social situations… but every day I now use it very practically for work, taking a photograph and uploading it somewhere on the Internet.
2. We will not be as obsessive about selfies as some people think
Our participants used their phone’s front-facing “selfie” camera only 14% of the time. They were aware of the stigma around selfies and didn’t need to be seen as narcissistic.
3. We see more vertical compositions
In the past, whether you had a bulky DSLR or a light-weight disposable camera, the “default” grip was to carry it with two hands in a horizontal position. This results in photos in landscape orientation.
However, the vertical design of smartphones and accompanying apps like Instagram and Snapchat leads to more photos in a vertical orientation. Participants found that holding their smartphone cameras this way was more convenient and faster.
Instagram/X/Snapchat
4. We wish to keep our distance
Participants took more photos of individuals from a distance than from close up. Intimate “head and face” framing was only present in lower than 10% of the photos.
In the words of one among the participants:
I feel like my friends and I get frustrated with our parents once they zoom in on a photograph or get really close. My mom at all times got something like that right in my face, like I didn’t need to see it. Zooming in, oh, it’s frustrating!
5. We are inspired by what we see on the Internet
Teenagers specifically cited social media, especially Instagram, as aspects influencing their visual sensitivity. Older people were more more likely to attribute their sense of aesthetics to physical media equivalent to photo books, magazines and posters.
This aesthetic inspiration influences what we photograph and the way we photograph it. For example, young people most frequently mentioned a focused compositional approach. In contrast, older generations were more more likely to check with the “rule of thirds” approach.
One of the participants compared the generational differences as follows:
There appears to be an actual lack of interest [by younger people] for example composition, use of sunshine or that form of aesthetic side of getting a picture. When my partner and I were kids […] our access to different aesthetics and pictures was actually very limited. You had 4 channels on TV, you had magazines, you had movies once in a while, you had album covers and all that. Meanwhile, today’s children are saturated with images, but the aesthetic aspect doesn’t seem that necessary to them.
Why the way we create images matters
While technology is changing the way people see the world and take photos, it is important to contemplate why we do what we do and with what results.
For example, the angle we use may give or take away symbolic power from an object. Photographing an athlete or politician from below makes them appear more powerful and heroic, while photographing a refugee from above may make them appear less powerful.
Vladislav Todorov on Unsplash (left) / Aleksandr Kadykov on Unsplash (right)
Sometimes the camera angles we use are harmless or out of practicality – consider taking a photograph of your receipt so you possibly can get your a reimbursement later – but other times the angles we use matter and may highlight existing imperfections.
As the variety of photos taken annually increases and recent ways of making them emerge, it becomes increasingly necessary to contemplate how we use cameras and other photo-making technologies.
