For a generation that grew up in an entirely digital world, dependence on technology is a familiar habit that some are trying to break.<\/p>\n
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\u201cFrom noon to 5 p.m., I\u2019m looking at screens all day and then I\u2019m going home and I\u2019m just looking at my phone, scrolling on social media,\u201d said Lillie Beacope, a senior at USC enrolled in a class on entertainment, marketing and culture. \u201cI just feel like there\u2019s not a chance for us within our day-to-day lives, to really get a break from technology.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spend any time outside, and you\u2019ll 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 U.S. adults own a smartphone, up from 35% when the center<\/a> first surveyed smartphone ownership in 2011. <\/p>\n The goal of the \u201canalog lifestyle\u201d trend is to wean people off constant digital connectivity by doing tangible activities that help a person reclaim their time. <\/p>\n But the smartphone isn\u2019t the villain in this story, it\u2019s a tool, said Natalia Khodayari, a postdoctoral researcher in the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a handy tool, but this tool can be challenging to manage,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Why now?<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople were upset, depressed and scared,\u201d and all they had were their phones, Zoom and immediate family, said Karen North, a professor of digital social media and psychology at USC. <\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s almost like biting your nails or another nervous habit,\u201d North said. <\/p>\n Not only can the device itself be addictive,<\/a> but many phone apps are designed to capture and keep a person\u2019s attention, though people are becoming increasingly aware of this, said Dr. Anna Lembke, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford. <\/p>\n \u201cThere 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,\u201d Lembke said. \u201cIt\u2019s very clear from survey studies that people are less happy now than they were 15 to 20 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n This, however, won\u2019t be the first time people have tried to exit the online world, even if just temporarily.<\/p>\n In 2010, Mintel, a global market intelligence and research agency,<\/a> promoted a \u201cswitching off\u201d trend because it anticipated consumers would want to take significant breaks from their digital devices because modern technology had created \u201cinescapable levels of connectivity.\u201d<\/p>\n But the fear of missing out, or \u201cFOMO,\u201d that comes with disconnecting can be equally daunting, some say.<\/p>\n \u201cIt 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,\u201d said USC senior Maya Din.<\/p>\n Experts say these feelings are coinciding with the advent of the internet, digital media and this concept of 24\/7 access.<\/p>\n People are trying to make sense of their unhappiness, which is leading them to \u201cmaking a valid connection between their online lives and their overall psychological state of being, which is not good,\u201d Lembke said. <\/p>\n Studies have shown a correlation<\/a> between heavy digital dependence and mental health challenges including depression, anxiety and stress. <\/p>\n Even though the concept of stepping away from our digital lives isn\u2019t new, North said TikTok challenges and social media trends \u201ctell us, \u2018It\u2019s not just you, it\u2019s everybody,\u2019\u201d and here\u2019s what you can do about it.<\/p>\n How is the \u2018analog lifestyle\u2019 trend different?<\/p>\n 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\u2019t involve being online.<\/p>\n The goal of this trend \u201cis a desire to rebalance time and energy and reduce distractability and related stress,\u201d said Khodayari, whose research focuses on the mechanisms of attention and emotion. <\/p>\n Generally, it\u2019s really easy to get distracted given the diversity and convenience modern-day life offers. <\/p>\n \u201cImagine 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,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n