Influencers want to adopt the 'analog lifestyle' for 2026

Karen Garcia, Tribune News Service

At the dawn of 2026, social media influencers at home and abroad proclaimed it the year of the "analog lifestyle," a call to reduce digital connectivity as smart tech and screen time dominate a person's attention span. Selly Tan, an influencer from California, said people are "craving something real again," and vowed to print her photos, read more books and magazines and take up hobbies that don't need Wi-Fi. Rosie Okatcha, an influencer from the UK, proclaimed the year would be "The Age of Analog" with consumers swapping music streaming for iPods and vinyl records, and choosing crafting over doomscrolling. Sanchi Oswal, an influencer from Germany, said in a post she felt going analog would reduce her "exposure and reliance on digital stimuli" and, in particular, to 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. "From noon to 5pm, I'm looking at screens all day and then I'm going home and I'm just looking at my phone, scrolling on social media," said Lillie Beacope, a senior at USC enrolled in a class on entertainment, marketing and culture. "I just feel like there's not a chance for us within our day-to-day lives, to really get a break from technology." Spend any time outside, and you'll see people of all ages are constantly on their smartphone or other digital devices for day-to-day tasks including communication, translation, navigation, delivery services, planning and entertainment. According to Pew Research Center data released in 2025, an estimated 91% of US 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 wean people off constant digital connectivity by doing tangible activities that help a person reclaim their time. But the smartphone isn't the villain in this story, it's a tool, said Natalia Khodayari, a postdoctoral researcher in the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. "It's a handy tool, but this tool can be challenging to manage," she said.

Why now? Smartphone dependence has existed for years, but experts say it was compounded for people when the COVID-19 pandemic forced people indoors for weeks and months on end. "People were upset, depressed and scared," and all they had were their phones, Zoom and immediate family, said Karen North, a professor of digital social media and psychology at USC. But years removed from the lockdowns, people are starting to notice how compelled they still are to look at their phones for information, to shop, or for nothing at all. "It's almost like biting your nails or another nervous habit," North said.

Not only can the device itself be addictive, but many phone apps are designed to capture and keep a person's attention, though people are becoming increasingly aware of this, said Dr. Anna Lembke, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford. "There are enormous opportunity costs to engagement on these platforms that suck (people) in, where they end up spending way more time than they plan to or want to," Lembke said. "It's very clear from survey studies that people are less happy now than they were 15 to 20 years ago." This, however, won't be the first time people have tried to exit the online world, even if just temporarily. In 2010, Mintel, a global market intelligence and research agency, promoted a "switching off" trend because it anticipated consumers would want to take significant breaks from their digital devices because modern technology had created "inescapable levels of connectivity." But the fear of missing out, or "FOMO," that comes with disconnecting can be equally daunting, some say.

"It kind of sucks to be accessible all the time and having to reply to everything, but at the same time I think in the digital age where you are so readily accessible, to not respond is then to not be a part of a community," said USC senior Maya Din.

Experts say these feelings are coinciding with the advent of the internet, digital media and this concept of 24/7 access. People are trying to make sense of their unhappiness, which is leading them to "making a valid connection between their online lives and their overall psychological state of being, which is not good," Lembke said. Studies have shown a correlation between heavy digital dependence and mental health challenges including depression, anxiety and stress. Even though 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 everybody,'" and here's what you can do about it.

How is the 'analog lifestyle' trend different? The analog trend is a different way to kick the digital habit because by embracing old technology and spending time on crafting projects experts say people are trying to be entertained or relax in ways that don't involve being online. The goal of this trend "is a desire to rebalance time and energy and reduce distractability and related stress," said Khodayari, whose research focuses on the mechanisms of attention and emotion. Generally, it's really easy to get distracted given the diversity and convenience modern-day life offers. "Imagine when there exists one space which houses your work, relaxation, communication, music, daily planner and food services, it can be quite challenging for individuals to really stay present towards one activity or one goal on a day-to-day basis," she said.

In 2018, a study published in the National Library of Medicine observed how many times 216 participants checked their smartphones over the course of 56 days. The study led by Dr. Larry Rosen, professor emeritus and past 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 equaled a total of 220 daily minutes of use. Not surprisingly, the analog lifestyle is being adopted by young adults and younger generations as a way to be more mindful, more intentional. "I think that's a really big theme here, is creating boundaries," Khodayari said.

There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to reducing or creating a boundary with your digital life. But as it happens, sometimes suggestions on how to go about it have to be spread online. Influencers are posting about their "analog bag," a canvas bag filled with craft supplies or purchasing a refurbished iPod to participate in this trend. The recommendation has increased the search for "iPods" on EBay more than 1,200 times an hour globally between January and October 2025, according to the company. The iPod third-generation models saw a 50% increase in average sales price from global EBay users in 2025 compared with 2023. The iPod Nano third generation saw a 60% increase, while the iPod Classic sixth generation had a 40% increase.