Karenl39: ... I have noticed recently that "everybody is a photographer"..
"Somebody let the rabble in." Lewis Carroll (famous for writing Alice In Wonderland he was also a dedicated wet plate collodion photographer) commenting on the sudden popularity of photography after the introduction of mass produced dry plates in the 1880s. Wet plate photography required the photographer to make and process the plates in the field close to the time of exposure needing some sort of portable darkroom. Dry plates were purchased ready to go, and could be processed at the end of a day of shooting.
Article about when everybody became a photographer. "By 1898 ... over 1.5 million roll-film cameras
had reached the hands of amateur shutterbugs."
In 1900 when the Kodak Brownie went on sale for $1. Film cartridges could be loaded in daylight, and processing and printing was available from local labs or by mail. Suddenly photography, which had been fairly complicated and expensive, was within the economic and technical means of almost everyone. In 1900 George Eastman was advertising that the Brownie camera and film made photography so easy that children could do it.
"Operated by any school boy or girl."
"Any school boy or girl can make good pictures with one of the Eastman Kodak Company's No. 2 Brownie cameras."
It seems to me that the popular perception is that digital photography is easier, and that's why more people are changing from casual snap shooters into serious photo enthusiasts. In my experience creating a quality photo from digital actually requires more technical precision both in the exposure and processing stages than quality prints from neg film. In general though, photography technology and processes became easy enough to learn for anyone who cared to apply themselves over 100 years ago, and have only steadily gotten easier. I think the real reason digital has increased interest in photography is that it's more fun! Being able to see the photo immediately and pop them up on a home computer can be very exciting and inspiring. Consider the popularity of Polaroid; Kodak and Fuji wanted to get in on that instant photo craze too, but Polaroid kept them out of the market with patent litigation. I've often heard/read a comment something along the lines of "Buying a piano doesn't make one a pianist. Buying a camera doesn't make one a photographer." Well, people actually are able to buy a modern camera, read the manual, and can often begin taking decent photos soon after. At least decent enough to inspire the photographer. I'll look at the photos you took the afternoon you bought your camera. I don't want to hear your playing the afternoon you bought your piano. 
Business site http://www.mattneedham.com
Blog http://www.henrypeach.com
"...a lot of photographers think that if they
buy a better camera they'll be able to take better photographs. A
better camera won't do a thing for you if you don't have anything in
your head or in your heart."
-Arnold Newman