As AI-powered tools take on more of our everyday responsibilities, a growing number of people are looking for opportunities to disconnect and reconnect with tangible experiences. This shift, widely known as the “analog lifestyle,” emphasizes easing the pace, embracing practical activities, and recapturing time away from screens and generative AI.
The phenomenon is growing, even if hard to measure precisely. Hobbies traditionally seen as old-fashioned, such as knitting, painting, and crafting, are seeing a resurgence. Arts and crafts retailer Michael’s has reported a 136% increase in searches for “analog hobbies” over the past six months. Sales of guided craft kits rose 86% in 2025, with projections showing another 30% to 40% increase this year. Yarn kits, long associated with traditional hobbies, jumped 1,200% in popularity. Stacey Shively, Michael’s chief merchandising officer, explained that the company plans to expand in-store sections dedicated to these materials as demand continues to grow.
Much of the appeal lies in mental health benefits. People are increasingly using crafting and other analog hobbies as a break from constant online scrolling, particularly after the isolation and digital fatigue many experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Experiencing analog first-hand
CNN Business reporter Ramishah Maruf decided to test the analog lifestyle personally. For 48 hours, she eliminated nearly all modern devices: three iPhones, a MacBook, two large desktop monitors, a Kindle, and an Alexa. The challenge wasn’t just about avoiding technology—it was about breaking the habit of mindless scrolling and reclaiming control over her time and attention.
Many people opt to disconnect from screens as a cultural or personal preference rather than committing to a strict digital detox. In British Columbia, 25-year-old Shaughnessy Barker has fully adopted an analog lifestyle. She relies on a home landline and uses a “dumb phone” app when she’s out, prioritizing conversations and letters over social media. Barker calls herself “an AI hater to my core,” having been raised on vinyl records and a collection of VHS tapes, DVDs, and cassettes. She organizes tech-free craft sessions and wine gatherings, pens handwritten messages, and enforces firm limits on how she uses her computer.
Even dedicated analog enthusiasts like Barker face challenges. Much of her work—running a vintage shop and a “snail mail club”—requires the internet, highlighting the tension between embracing offline living and managing practical responsibilities in a digital world. Barker acknowledges the paradox: using TikTok to promote a tech-free lifestyle illustrates the balancing act required to live analog in a digital age.
Why analog lifestyles are appealing
Many people turn to analog practices as a response to AI-generated content, often called “AI slop,” which Avriel Epps, an AI researcher at the University of California Riverside, describes as repetitive, fatiguing, and lacking originality. The analog movement is not anti-technology; participants selectively integrate offline activities into their lives.
Some choose small but meaningful changes: replacing streaming services with a vintage iPod, taking film photographs instead of endless digital snaps, or using a physical alarm clock instead of a smartphone. These choices create tangible results and reduce digital dependency. Epps emphasizes that going analog is less about rejecting information and more about limiting how much the digital world knows about an individual, such as stepping away from Google’s ecosystem or observing screen-free Sundays.
The appeal reaches further than personal gratification, as many find that hands-on hobbies deliver focus, creativity, and relaxation in ways AI-driven entertainment cannot replicate. Throughout Maruf’s 48-hour experiment, she discovered that activities such as crafting, reading, and journaling opened up time that would have otherwise slipped away to scrolling. Engaging in pursuits like knitting, painting, or taking on physical projects enables participants to witness immediate, concrete outcomes from their efforts, strengthening their sense of achievement.
Building community and forging connections through analog pastimes
Analog activities frequently draw people together, opening up screen-free social moments. Maruf witnessed this directly at a knitting circle in a Brooklyn library, where attendees of various ages exchanged advice and showcased their projects while staying completely unplugged. Tanya Nguyen, a frequent participant, noted that knitting provides a tactile way to unwind while keeping phones out of the picture.
Offline activities foster a calmer, more present mindset, something many participants admit is difficult to attain when most interactions happen through digital devices. By engaging with physical tasks—whether stitching a scarf, keeping a journal, or turning the pages of a printed book—analog fans discover both fulfillment and a sense of belonging. For Maruf, this analog trial made it possible for her to wrap up goals such as completing “Wuthering Heights,” mailing a handwritten postcard, and starting a knitting project, giving her a concrete feeling of achievement that extended beyond work or online demands.
Challenges of living analog in a connected world
Although the idea is attractive, fully committing to an analog way of living comes with obstacles. Numerous duties still depend on digital tools, whether for professional tasks or personal interactions. Even committed followers must balance the desire to live offline with the need to engage in the online systems that daily life requires.
Additionally, the trend also underscores contrasts between generations, as younger adults raised around technology often struggle to completely step away from their screens. Yet as the analog lifestyle becomes more appealing, even limited practices such as starting the day without devices, pursuing offline pastimes, or reducing social media use can offer substantial relief from digital overload and AI saturation.
The movement also signals a broader cultural change in how society relates to technology, as more people challenge AI’s place in everyday routines and look for experiences that elevate genuine creativity, authenticity, and human interaction instead of mere speed or convenience. By embracing a slower pace, dedicating themselves to hands-on efforts, and limiting dependence on AI-generated material, participants regain control of their time, focus, and imaginative expression.
An expanding cultural transformation
The rising enthusiasm for analog hobbies reflects far more than a passing fad, as companies like Michael’s have noted sharp increases in both sales and searches for analog-centered products, indicating that many Americans are turning to offline pastimes as a way to practice self-care and push back against constant digital saturation.
Choosing complete digital withdrawal is rarely feasible, yet an analog approach highlights how intentional periods offline can be invaluable. By weaving device-free moments into everyday life, people can sharpen their concentration, ease mental strain, and foster meaningful outcomes beyond what AI is able to duplicate.
Ultimately, the analog lifestyle represents both a personal and societal response to an increasingly AI-driven world. It emphasizes slowing down, appreciating tangible accomplishments, and reconnecting with both the physical environment and the people around us. Whether through crafts, reading, or simply reducing screen time, the movement encourages individuals to reclaim aspects of life that technology often overshadows, offering a path toward balance in the digital era.
As more individuals embrace these offline habits, it becomes evident that analog living has evolved beyond a passing trend, emerging instead as a widespread cultural movement that values deliberate, tactile experiences within an era shaped by AI and digital ease.
