The analogue diaries of postdigital consumption

ABSTRACT

Even in a world that is saturated with the digital, we still seek out analogue objects. Drawing on concepts of postdigital aesthetics, we examine the use of analogue objects to escape the omnipresence of the digital realm. Based on consumer narratives from interview, archival, and netnographic data involving the use of analogue notebooks and film cameras, we derive the notion of postdigital consumption and analyse the ‘digital’ as a background object foregrounding the analogue. Our findings reveal ways in which consumers use these analogue objects to escape controlled consumption, to enchant their consumption with their labour, and to seek continuity and permanence, in navigating paradoxical relationships with the digital world.

KEYWORDS:

• Postdigital
• social media
• objects
• analogue
• brands

Acknowledgements

The authors are very grateful to the review team and the editor; the faculty and students at Durham Business School & Schulich School of Business; and to Ted Pedersen for their constructive feedback.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. https://goop.com/wellness/mindfulness/digital-detox-at-every-age/.