I would argue the graph looking at pixels in photographs is probably more affected by smartphones than any societal trend. Because so many more pictures are tak

I would argue the graph looking at pixels in photographs is probably more affected by smartphones than any societal trend. Because so many more pictures are taken with smartphones now, the colors produced by smartphones have an impact here. But probably a greater impact is the number of throw-away pictures that are taken and published now as opposed to before. (Not to say that smartphones pictures are bad pictures, but to say that ease of taking pictures, and ease of publishing pictures, removes bariers to 'bad' pictures. Smartphones are probably also responsible for an absolute increase in the total number of good pictures)