This Stranger Things Fan Became Viral For Asking What A Darkroom Is

Sometimes it feels like modern technology is advancing at such a rapid pace, it can be hard to keep up. It seems that not that long ago, we were amazed by cell phones with colored screens and mp3 players that fit in our pockets and now those things appear almost comically dated. Some of those pieces of technology seemed like important parts of our childhood, but, sadly, have slowly faded into obsolescence with a great part of the current generation having no idea how they work.

This was recently the case when one Stranger Things fan asked what the “red room” shown in some episodes was used for

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The fan wanted to know why Jonathan is frequently shown dunking pictures into some liquid in the “red room”. Now, if you’re a fan of film photography, you probably know what the purpose of the room is. But just in case you’re not, the room is actually called a darkroom and serves as a workplace for photographers who are developing film.

Image credits: Netflix

Since photographic film is extremely sensitive to light (meaning all of its contents can be destroyed if it’s exposed to light), it has to be developed in complete darkness. The red light seen in the show is used when making black-and-white prints from the developed film and since the majority of photo paper used for prints is only sensitive to green and blue light, a red or amber-colored light is a safe choice to use in darkrooms, allowing the photographer to see what he is doing.

Someone posted the fan’s question to Twitter, making people realize how old they were getting

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While it’s true that film has become quite obsolete in the 21st century, some photographers still prefer to use film cameras instead of conventional DSLR ones. Perhaps it’s the vibrant colors, the process of loading the film, or the suspense of getting it developed that makes them stick by it.