The Death of Physical Media

As 2025 came to a close an interesting movement sparked to life on the internet, that being, an increasing demand for physical media and a greater romanticizing of life lived offline. The movement gained momentum in the new year with 2026 being declared "the year we go back to analog." It's a sort of strange irony to watch content creators flaunt hauls of CDs and hear through various TikToks how much better life would be without, well... TikTok. Don't get me wrong, I think the idea is wonderful and the demand for things that last is long overdue. I also understand that ironic or not the fastest way to spread the word is through the internet.

So, if I'm on board, why am I writing about the death of physical media? My hesitancy to accept this as the "year of analog" stems from Gen Z's track record of impermanence. We dive into a new idea, romanticize the crap out of it, overconsume, and inevitably burn ourselves out before moving on to the next big thing. I guess my question boils down to; is this truly a movement, or just another trend?

If it is a trend, and three months from now no one cares if you're buying DVDs or paying for three different streaming services, then it will only serve as a nail in the coffin of the way we consume physical media. I don't think it's going to go extinct or die in terms of simply not being created anymore, because as long as human beings exist we will have an innate desire to create. There will always be people who believe music sounds better on vinyl, poets who will always prefer the feeling of paper under their pens, and artists who'll mix their own paint before they ever succumb to generating their ideas through AI. Our very nature is to create, explore and experience. Our curiosity has always driven us forward and I fully believe it will continue to do so.

What's in danger isn't the existence of physical media, but rather the way we experience it. Gone our the days of driving to the local Blockbuster to rent a movie, and though we're not likely to stop making movies or watching them, the experience that came with renting a DVD has been outmoded for the sake of convenience. Our way of life has conformed to the idea that anything taking us out of our way must be labeled "inconvenient."

Even our romanticizing of the past has been neatly formulated into short form content and five second clips to scroll through while watching another larger screen simultaneously. Is it redundant to say nostalgia isn't what it used to be?

It's certainly redundant to say the world is always changing, because it always has been, and yet the changes seem to be coming faster now. Like an avalanche gaining momentum as it crashes down a mountainside. It's hard to imagine 250 years ago the sewing machine didn't exist. Neither did the phones, cars or movies for that mater. Now with the rise of artificial intelligence, we can generate movies within moments, ride in cars that drive themselves, and phones have evolved into pocket computers so complex they seem to rival the technology that put man on the moon. Have we gone to far? Is this avalanche of technological industrialization truly killing the creative industry? Perhaps "reshaping the creative industry" is a better term. However, the question remains, is it a better fate?

We're already seeing the toll AI is taking on graphic designers, painters, musicians and even actors. Aspects of the fashion industry are also suffering the effects of AI dupes as our generation struggles to find a balance of creative control. Realistically speaking they're not going to discontinue the use of AI, so why are we resisting the future? The answer is simple really; in order to embrace hope, we have to resist control.

Gen Z has the right idea by spreading the word that tangible media is still important, but what percentage of Gen Z do you think woke up on January first and declared the beginning of the "year of analog" by deleting Spotify? Or Netflix? Or by trading out their smartphones for Blackberries? I'm not saying we're wrong for not jumping in 100%, just the opposite in fact, I think we're on to something. By searching for a balance between the physical and digital, we're projecting the idea that entertainment is meant to be enjoyed. We're announcing that we should be allowed to take control of it, to slow down and rewatch or reread the things we want to consume.

It's interesting to me, of all the things to be invented, industrialized, and automated in the last 250 years something as simple as the sewing machine still requires the steady guidance of human hands...and feet. Which brings me to another question, where does fashion fit into the preservation of physical media?

When we think of media we often think of movies, music, zines and writings. Though fashion may not meet the textbook definition of media, one can't deny the influence they have on each other. It's also one of the most physical forms of creative work as the very function of fashion is to be physically worn on the body. I think it's safe to say you can't fully digitize fashion, and with the sewing machine still requiring man/woman power, you can't even fully automate fashion. However, the way we experience fashion is in the same danger as the way we experience physical media.

With the rise of flash fashion, the convenience of same day shipping and cheap prices, we're allured into sacrificing the quality that comes with clothes crafted with intention. Trends have become something we metaphorically subscribe too. Here one day, gone the next. Something so physical, so personal as clothes, becoming as impermeant as paper plates. It isn't often teenagers today plan trips to the mall in early September, armed with $200 and the goal of finding new school clothes. Now it can all be done from an app you carry in your pocket. Add it to the cart and it arrives at your doorstep in less than 48 hours. Is this the face of convenience? Stripping away the activities associated with community? Is this why it's become of awkward to ask someone to hang out; because anything that could be done on our phones has become taboo to want to do in person?

Trend or not, right now we're making an effort to preserve physical media, let's not lose sight of why. It's not to build collections and it's not to find new ways to consume. We're doing this to preserve connection.

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed what you read consider leaving a comment!

-Coco Elouise Marie