Recently, my social media has been flooded with influencers flaunting their new flip phones, iPods, or Bricks. As I scrolled, countless videos of people promoting the return to analog media appeared on my screen. Originally, I thought the uprise was harmless, even beneficial, but as I started to deep dive, I concluded that going analog wasn’t for me.
I’ll admit, I was originally sucked into the craze, as I hated the way doomscrolling made me feel in 2025. So, in retaliation, I scrolled some more, this time watching videos that romanticized a life in analog. I began thinking about ways I could reconstruct my life to fit this shift. I bought a couple of new books, made a journal to spread crafting ideas, and even considered creating an analog bag.
However, learning more about what going analog really meant, I stumbled across a YouTube video that criticized the new trend, and I was taken aback. I questioned what could be so bad about getting offline.
the idea of going analog
I first want to clarify what the term “analog” means. Analog media refers to forms of media that represent information through physical qualities, rather than digital ones. Ironically, the flip phones (now being called “dumb” phones) and the iPods that influencers are presenting as “going analog” don’t even fit into the context. They align closer with physical media.
I love the idea of going analog. I’ve felt the impact social media has had on my life, and I know I want to make some changes. However, it’s the coolness that’s now associated with this trend that I find off-putting. Being offline is the new cool. It’s a new microtrend that people want to follow. I find it ironic that influencers are the ones promoting this lifestyle, when their whole job is to get viewers to watch their videos.
Within most of the videos I’ve seen, it’s all been surface-level. This extremist outlook that people seem to form is that being online is bad and being disconnected is good. These videos told me to buy more books, buy CDs of my favorite movies, and pick up a million new hobbies. All gliding back to more consumption, but I don’t want to increase my consumption. I want to stop doomscrolling!
So, I decided that going analog wasn’t for me. I do want to make a shift in my life away from my phone, but I don’t think going offline, cold turkey, is what will benefit me the most. As a full-time college student, many of my peers and I don’t have the privilege of fully disconnecting. We need the internet for classes or to use social media to learn about campus involvement.
limiting social media on my own terms
There are some practical, non-extremist ways I plan to limit social media use in my own life to regain agency online. Most of these aren’t aesthetic or glamorized, but practical.
minimize consumption of short-form content
As a first step, short-form content will slowly be removed from my everyday life. In recent studies, TikTok has shown to have negative effects on prospective memory and analytical thinking. In simpler terms, this means your brain is on autopilot.
I find so much more enjoyment in watching long-form video essays on YouTube or listening to a fun podcast, so why don’t I do it more often? It’s that addictive nature of apps like TikTok. I’ve found success in limiting screen time through app blockers. My personal favorite is ScreenZen. The app makes me question if it’s important to be scrolling, how I’m using my time, and forces me to wait 10 seconds before opening my time-limited apps.
junk journaling
For my crafty people, I’ve started junk journaling. This doesn’t force me to buy a whole bunch of journaling materials but gives me the freedom to use what I have or find in everyday life. I even like to do it in silence, which may sound weird, but it allows my brain to rest. No noise, no distraction, just pure creativity. Don’t cave into the pressure of needing a bag full of “analog” things. Instead, find what creative outlets bring you the most joy and stick to that.
getting a library card
Reading is a big way most people try to get off their phones. A friend of mine recently signed up for a library card, and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of this sooner. Sure, I may not have a cool bookshelf full of books, but I’m lowering my consumption while disconnecting from my phone. Signing up for a library card in Leon County is free, which means I’m even saving money. This is a great alternative to having a stacked pile of to-be-read (TBR) books in your room.
being consumption CONSCIOUS
Finally, I’m being conscious about what exactly I’m consuming online. I don’t think being on the internet is inherently bad, which is why I’m so against the whole analog trend. The internet can provide us with inspiration, information, and community. To me, the problem isn’t being online, it’s what I’m doing while online. I want to reclaim my agency when it comes to the internet.
To do this, I don’t want to overindulge in surprise-factor content (like I mentioned with short-form videos). Instead, I want to choose what I’m watching. I want to use the internet for what it was originally intended for: access. Any niche interest I have or any topic I want to learn more about, I can discover through the internet. It can be used to enhance our knowledge, rather than rot our brains.
Through the internet, I have access to millions of articles, so I want to start using that to my full advantage. Websites like Substack, or the current one I’m writing with (shoutout Her Campus), provide creator-centered communities. Through reading articles written by my peers or everyday people, I broaden my perspective and gain new knowledge.
appreciating connection
I want to use social media as a form of connection again, as the internet gives us plenty of access to it. Originally, most people just used social media to connect with friends and family. In the mess of it all, these apps have become a space of aesthetics rather than community. Now, I’m not saying I don’t like to post a curated photo dump here or there, but I also want social media to be an outlet to look at and share the mundane of my friends’ and my lives.
Although going analog theoretically sounds like a great idea, there’s good that can come from being online, if we choose how to use our time. Through content like Instagram Reels or TikTok, I had lost internet agency. So, I’m not aiming to go analog this year, but I’m attempting to build a healthy relationship with technology.
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