ACCORDING TO NEW Retail Ireland figures, the photo sector was one of the worst performing in 2014, shrinking 35% in a three month period.

Photos need a comeback, they have their merits over Instagram and Facebook–here’s why.

1. You could physically look through them

There’s nothing better than sitting around with a pile of old photos and reminiscing. This generation will be showing our embarrassing kids photos via Facebook instead of in an album when they bring their other half home for the first time.

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2. You couldn’t obsessively check how you look

Once you hit that button, it’s there forever. No revising, deleting. Selfies weren’t even in your vocabulary.

3. They just look better in a frame

The print-outs from those photo machines just doesn’t look quite right, and digital photo frames? No thanks.

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4. That excitement of getting them developed

All the disposable cameras you used on holidays, finally getting their heyday. You can’t remember what you took, so looking through them was like being on holiday ALL OVER AGAIN.

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5. They can’t be leaked

Rip it up, never to be seen again. See ya cloud.

6. You can’t be tagged

Oh, the dream. If someone took an awful photo of you, you could live in blissful ignorance.

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7. There were no filters

We were all in unflattering light, but we were in it together.

8. A photo was only taken when a photo was needed

If you can’t take a photo at any given moment, your lunch date won’t be snapping their food instead of chatting to you.

9. Putting the negatives up to light

Creepy, but a joy.

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Video perfectly sums up the injustice of your lack of Instagram likes>

The most-liked Instagram photos of 2014 are pretty sigh-worthy>