Analog photography enhances identity, well-being, and social connection, in Southeastern China

The resurgence of analog photography within our hyper-digitized landscape presents a unique and compelling intersection of technology, culture, and human psychology. This study offers an in-depth investigation into the multifaceted role of analog photography in shaping identity formation, fostering psychological well-being, and nurturing social capital development within the specific socio-cultural milieu of Southeastern China. Employing a concurrent mixed-methods design with a robust sample of 600 participants (N=600), we integrated quantitative surveys assessing psychological constructs and engagement levels with qualitative interviews exploring lived experiences. We applied advanced statistical techniques, including Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), to test a theoretically-grounded model. This model hypothesized that engagement in analog photography predicts enhanced well-being (manifested as higher self-esteem and lower perceived stress) through the crucial mediating roles of psychologically potent nostalgia and cultivated mindfulness. Furthermore, Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was utilized to move beyond a monolithic view and identify distinct, meaningful subgroups of analog photographers based on their underlying motivations and engagement patterns. SEM results indicated a strong model fit with the data, confirming the significant mediating pathways through both nostalgia and mindfulness, suggesting these psychological processes are key to understanding the benefits derived from analog practice. LCA successfully identified four distinct and interpretable classes: The tradition-focused 'Nostalgic Purists,' the aesthetically driven 'Aesthetic Explorers', the community-oriented 'Social Connectors,' and the process-centered 'Mindful Contemplatives'. These quantitative findings were substantially enriched and contextualized by our qualitative data. Interviews revealed intricate details of how the material (film, cameras, prints), temporal (slowness, anticipation), and social (clubs, sharing) dimensions of analog practice are woven into personal self-narratives, facilitate emotional regulation strategies, and solidify enduring community bonds. Collectively, these findings provide a nuanced, multi-layered understanding of how seemingly 'retro' or traditional, tangible practices can serve vital, contemporary psychological and social functions, particularly in a rapidly digitizing, non-Western context like Southeastern China. This research extends existing theories of identity (Erikson, 1970; McAdams in Rev. Gen. Psychol. 5(2): 100-122, 2001), psychological well-being (Ryan & Deci in Am. Psychol. 55(1): 68-78, 2000)), social capital (Putnam in Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community, Touchstone Books/Simon & Schuster, 2000), and cultural memory (Assmann in Cultural memory and early civilization: Writing, remembrance, and political imagination, 1-319, 2011), offering valuable insights for both academic discourse and practical applications in mental health and cultural preservation.