Sophomore Jett Cabrinha, who collects vinyl records, is among those who favor physical media instead of digital.

“Almost weekly, I go to the record store and get new records,” Cabrinha said. “I’ll be flipping through records and discovering new artists. I have a lot of old psych stuff from the ’60s and hard rock.”

From digital cameras to compact discs (CDs), many have reverted to using physical media instead of modern technology. Across social media, the increase of physical media has even pushed the idea of 2026 being the year of “Analog Living.”  In the first half of 2024, CDs outsold digital downloads by almost three times, according to a 2024 report by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Since 2024, the resurgence of physical media has increased with many opting to use more nostalgic media such as vinyl records over Spotify or Apple Music, physical books over Kindle e-books and digital cameras over phone cameras.

Recently, the Los Angeles Unified School District banned the access of Spotify, limiting students and educators to use modern technology to listen to music but also encouraging them to explore physical media as an alternative. 

“I’m upset about it because it was kind of like a sense of escape in class and not so I can just zone off but to calm myself and now it’s gone,” freshman Frances Burd said. “I feel like that was an outlet for a lot of other kids too. It’s like the district is trying to limit us and restrict us so much that we’re losing our resources. I tried YouTube, but it didn’t work. I’ve been trying to distract myself in other ways by reading and drawing, but music helped the best for me.”

While many are frustrated by the loss of Spotify at school, some are using physical means to listen to their music. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there was a 39% increase in the price of video discs and other media from 2020 to 2026. English teacher Francesca Gunther explains her recent purchase experience of buying a video cassette recorder (VCR).

“I love VCRs,” Gunther said. “They’re so much fun. I have a Disney Princess VCR player that I got on Facebook Marketplace that I got for $100. At the time, I thought that it was very expensive but now, they’re going for $400 because of the resurgence of VCRs.” 

Financial pressures with subscriptions have also affected the increase in physical media, which has left many users have at least considered cancelling their subscriptions. According to the Computer Network, 61% of adults are rethinking paid subscriptions, 24% are considering canceling a subscription and 26% have already canceled a subscription.

“I want something that’s actually mine and physical instead of something that I buy online that can just be taken away or have issues with subscription,” Cabrinha said.

The issue of security has also led to uncertainty toward modern technology. According to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of individuals in the United States who are worried about how the government uses people’s data increased from 64% in 2019 to 71% in 2023. With concerns of data collection, privacy violations and data breaches, Electric Frontier Foundation Senior Staff Technologist Will Greenberg believes that cybersecurity could contribute to the resurgence of physical media.

“I am guilty of doing that,” Greenberg said in a phone interview. “I cancelled my Spotify account to buy an $80 MP3 player. I think a lot of people are tired of an ecosystem where they don’t own their data that they are consuming and creating anymore.” Social media plays a part in the growth of physical media with influencers and creators showing off their collections of digital versatile discs, also known as DVDs, books and film and digital cameras. However, according to a report by the RIAA in 2023, the increasing trend of vinyl records has been popular for nearly 17 years, proving that the trend of physical media has always been present.

“I think (physical media) will last, but it will probably change, like the way it’s always changed,” Gunther said. “I think it’s getting this resurgence right now like the way vinyl had a resurgence when I was in high school. I think it will continue, but it might just be a different thing or piece of media that is brought back.”

Although the resurgence of physical media is increasing, the use of modern technology is continuing to grow and increase. In 2024, the RIAA compared music revenues in the United States between streaming services and physical media, which showed 84% of total revenue comes from streaming services while only 11% comes from overall physical media. Despite the growth of physical media, digital media will continue to be used among consumers. 

“I don’t think (physical media) is going to replace (digital media),” freshman Nicolette Donovan said. “I think there’s always going to be people who want easier options.” 

Online Editor-in-Chief Tania Lopez contributed to the reporting of this article.