this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2025
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The latest must-have accessory is a "stop-scrolling bag" -- a tote packed with analog activities like watercolors and crossword puzzles. We spend hours glued to our screens. "Analog bags," as they're also called, are one way millennials and Gen Zers are reclaiming that time. "I basically just put everything I could grab for instead of my phone into a bag," including knitting, a scrapbook and a Polaroid camera, says Sierra Campbell, the content creator behind the trend.

The 31-year-old keeps one bag at home in Northern California, carrying it from room to room, and another in her car. The trend has quickly spread on social media, part of a bigger shift to unplug. Roughly 1,600 TikTok posts were tagged #AnalogLife during the first nine months of 2025 -- up over 330% from the same period last year, according to TikTok data shared with Axios.

"It speaks to an incredible desperation and desire for experiences that return our attention to us, that fight brain-rotting, that are tactile ... that involve creating over scrolling," says Beth McGroarty, vice president of research at the Global Wellness Institute.

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[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 14 hours ago

I do crosswords and suduko more often on a sreen now.

[–] ouRKaoS@lemmy.today 16 points 1 day ago

Roughly 1,600 TikTok posts were tagged #AnalogLife

If you're posting on tiktok about how unplugged you are, you're doing it wrong

[–] artifex@piefed.social 65 points 3 days ago (3 children)

The 31-year-old keeps one bag at home in Northern California, carrying it from room to room, and another in her car

I think the problem is that we've forgotten how to just do nothing and be content with it (or even a bit bored with it). While I think unplugging is good, this just seems like replacing one kind of attention addiction with another.

[–] Michal@programming.dev 7 points 2 days ago

It's not attention addiction. Note that it's supposed to replace consumption with creative / problem solving activities. If you're addicted to watercolors, at least you will be getting better at the craft. If you're just consuming online content / doomscrolling you're just wasting time.

[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 29 points 2 days ago (1 children)

This is probably a good methadone, though. It's way easier to kick a watercolor addiction than an addiction to an app purpose-developed by a whole team of engineers to string people along with the minimum possible dopamine drip for as long as they can manage.

[–] artifex@piefed.social 18 points 2 days ago

Yep. Encouraging a whole new generation of casual artists, makers and readers can only be seen as a great thing. I would just add that we all need to remember how to slow down, and understand that's good and necessary to do so every so often.

- sent from one of my 117 open tabs

[–] tomiant@piefed.social 8 points 2 days ago

But silence reminds me of the impending actual and factual and imminent terror and doom about to strike us all!

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 28 points 2 days ago (6 children)

I love my ereader.

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[–] IcedRaktajino@startrek.website 37 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

I've gradually weaned off of smartphones over the last 18 months. Currently daily-driving the Minimal Phone and loving its distraction-free (or at least distraction-lite) ways.

I may not be analog like the article is highlighting, but I have basically eliminated the doom scrolling and have reignited my passion for reading (the one "distraction" the Minimal Phone does well is being an e-reader since it's got an e-ink screen).

Roughly 1,600 TikTok posts were tagged #AnalogLife during the first nine months of 2025

I'm just going to ignore the irony of that and appreciate it at face value 😆

[–] SoupBrick@pawb.social 12 points 3 days ago

Ngl, how else are you going to get the trend to spread to those who are perma locked on social media?

It is like saying you can't make a youtube video criticizing youtube.

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[–] Fizz@lemmy.nz 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I have no problem just sitting down with nothing to do. I bring a book or go on my phone so that I dont waste my time starring into space dreaming.

I have a 30min bus ride to and from work its perfect for reading or listening to music or steamdeck. Most of the time i just do nothing but gaze out the window.

With these tiktok trends and 'stop scrolling' videos Im happy they are feeling the effects of social media and actually taking action.

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 31 points 3 days ago (11 children)

Take up knitting. I'm serious.

[–] FauxPseudo@lemmy.world 13 points 2 days ago (3 children)

I broke my wrist and took up knitting for physical therapy.

I'm starting to look at weaving from natural fibers. I have yucca in my yard. The roots are a calorie source and the fronds can make durable shoes.

[–] bluemoon@piefed.social 3 points 1 day ago

you are cool and i am proud of you, random person online

[–] llii@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 2 days ago

Looks Great!

[–] Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 2 days ago

BE CAREFUL following this advice! My friend took up knitting a few years back and now we have two cat beds, a few scarves, a blanket, and her house is overflowing with shaped yarn goodies. It seems very addictive.

[–] VintageGenious@sh.itjust.works 11 points 3 days ago (2 children)
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[–] IcedRaktajino@startrek.website 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I've always joked that coding as a hobby is just digital knitting lol.

[–] tomiant@piefed.social 5 points 2 days ago

But that takes braaaaaaaainnnnnn :(

[–] ook@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 3 days ago

Hi serious.

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[–] goatmeal@midwest.social 15 points 3 days ago (4 children)

I like the idea behind this but how do you promote your analog life on TikTok without also using tech at the same time

[–] uncrme@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

I think there's a difficult intersection of

a. This stuff is cool and trendy right now so a lot of that content is aspirational

b. TikTok is addictive and extremely hard to kick + lots of people now see it as their primary source for style and lifestyle inspiration leading back into a.

[–] bluemoon@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

as others've typed out: not a zero sum act.

just below two hours a day and brain isn't rotting.

also i'd reformulate: not necessarily simultaneous, just some time. can be disjointed in time: to look up or record and to do in the everyday groove.

[–] fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

You don’t have to quit cold turkey.

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[–] makyo@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago

I think the idea is to get a break from the digital life, not abandon it completely

[–] cygnus@lemmy.ca 9 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Zoomers are in their 30s now? [insert Matt Damon ageing GIF]

[–] BakerBagel@midwest.social 4 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Depends on the cutoff line. But i would typically say Zoomers are too young to remember 9/11 and old enough to have grown up with Marvel movies. Born late 90's-early 2010's. 30 is around the cutoff between Millennials and Zoomers so that wwill come down to individuals. But also, generations are pretty suspect as a concept outside of the Baby Boomers since that was an actual charatable phenomen

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[–] gary@piefed.world 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Nice, I can finally put that free tote bag I got with a magazine subscription to use.

[–] BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)
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[–] FauxPseudo@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

You can do both

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