In early 2026, social media influencers at home and abroad proclaimed it the year of the “analog lifestyle,” a call to reduce digital connectivity as smart technology and screen time dominate a person's attention span.
Selly Tan, a California influencer, said people are “wanting something real again” and vowed to print their photos, read more books and magazines and take up hobbies that don't require Wi-Fi.
Rosie Okatcha, a UK influencer, proclaimed the year to be “The Age of Analog,” as consumers swap streaming music for iPods and vinyl records, and choose craftsmanship over doomscrolling.
Sanchi Oswal, an influencer from Germany, said in a post that she felt going analog would reduce her “exposure and dependence on digital stimuli” and, in particular, her phone.
For a generation that grew up in an entirely digital world, dependence on technology is a familiar habit that some are trying to break.
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“From noon to 5 p.m., I'm looking at screens all day and then I go home and just look at my phone, scrolling through social media,” said Lillie Beacope, a USC senior enrolled in a class on entertainment, marketing and culture. “I just feel like we don't have any chance in our everyday lives to really take a break from technology.”
Spend any moment outdoors and you will find that people of all ages are constantly on their smartphones or other digital devices for daily tasks including communication, translation, navigation, delivery services, planning and entertainment. According to Pew Research Center data released in 2025, an estimated 91% of American adults own a smartphone, up from 35% when the center first surveyed smartphone ownership in 2011.
The goal of the “analog lifestyle” trend is to move people away from constant digital connectivity by engaging in tangible activities that help them reclaim their time.
But the smartphone is not the villain of this story, it is a tool, said Natalia Khodayari, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UC Davis.
“It's a useful tool, but it can be difficult to manage,” he said.
Why now?
Reliance on smartphones has been around for years, but experts say it was exacerbated when the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to stay home for weeks and months.
“People were upset, depressed and scared,” and all they had were their phones, Zoom and their immediate family, said Karen North, a professor of digital social media and psychology at USC.
But years into lockdowns, people are starting to realize how compelled they still feel to look at their phones for information, to shop, or for nothing at all.
“It's almost like nail biting or another nervous habit,” North said.
Not only can the device itself be addictive, but many phone apps are designed to capture and hold a person's attention, although people are increasingly aware of this, said Dr. Anna Lembke, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford.
“There are huge opportunity costs to participating in these platforms that suck.” [people] “It's very clear from survey studies that people are less happy now than they were 15 or 20 years ago.”
This, however, will not be the first time that people try to leave the online world, even temporarily.
In 2010, Mintel, a global market research and intelligence agency, promoted a “unplugging” trend because it anticipated that consumers would want to take meaningful breaks from their digital devices because modern technology had created “unavoidable levels of connectivity.”
But the fear of missing out, or “FOMO,” that comes with disconnection can be just as daunting, some say.
“It kind of sucks to be accessible all the time and have to respond to everything, but at the same time I think in the digital age where you are so easily accessible, not responding means not being part of a community,” said USC senior Maya Din.
Experts say these feelings coincide with the advent of the Internet, digital media, and this concept of 24/7 access.
People are trying to make sense of their unhappiness, leading them to “make a valid connection between their online lives and their overall psychological state, which is not good,” Lembke said.
Studies have shown a correlation between a strong digital dependency and mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety and stress.
While the concept of stepping away from our digital lives isn't new, North said TikTok challenges and social media trends “tell us, 'It's not just you, it's everyone,'” and here's what you can do about it.
How is the trend different from the 'analog lifestyle'?
The analog trend is a different way to kick the digital habit because, by embracing old technology and spending time crafting projects, experts say people are trying to entertain or relax in ways that don't involve being online.
The goal of this trend “is the desire to rebalance time and energy and reduce distraction and related stress,” said Khodayari, whose research focuses on the mechanisms of attention and emotion.
Generally, it is very easy to become distracted given the diversity and convenience that modern life offers.
“Imagine there is a space that houses work, relaxation, communication, music, daily scheduling and food services – it can be challenging for people to really stay present with an activity or goal on a day-to-day basis,” he said.
In 2018, a study published in the National Library of Medicine looked at how many times 216 participants checked their smartphones over the course of 56 days. The study led by Dr. Larry Rosen, professor emeritus and former chair of the psychology department at Cal State Dominguez Hills, found that participants unlocked their phones more than 60 times a day for three to four minutes each time, which equated to a total of 220 daily minutes of use.
It's no surprise that young adults and younger generations are embracing the analog lifestyle as a way to be more mindful and intentional.
“I think that's a really important issue here: creating boundaries,” Khodayari said.
How to reduce your digital connectivity
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to reducing or creating a boundary in your digital life. But it happens that sometimes tips on how to do it need to be spread online.
Influencers post about their “analog bag,” a canvas bag filled with craft supplies, or purchase a refurbished iPod to get in on the trend.
The recommendation has increased searches for “iPods” on EBay more than 1,200 times per hour worldwide between January and October 2025, according to the company. Third-generation iPod models saw a 50% increase in the average selling price of global EBay users in 2025 compared to 2023. The third-generation iPod Nano saw a 60% increase, while the sixth-generation iPod Classic saw a 40% increase.
In terms of crafts, Market Research Future, a global market research company, projects that the craft supplies market will grow steadily from $42.83 billion globally in 2025 to $64.95 billion by 2035, which is partly due to “individuals seeking creative outlets.”
You don't have to spend money to participate in the analog lifestyle trend because making a drastic change or adopting a modern hobby might not be useful because it is not something that can be maintained in the long term, Khodayari said.
If you really want to continue reducing your overall digital use, start with small adjustments to your habits, he said.
“Do something that creates change that you really feel like you can be consistent with,” he said.
Below are some common small adjustments people make to their routines to live the analog lifestyle:
- Put your phone out of sight when you're working on another task. Put it in a drawer or another room completely.
- Remove an app from your phone's home screen or delete it completely.
- Silence or stop unnecessary notifications.
- Swap your Doomscrolling time on social media with another activity like walking, crafting, reading, or cooking.
