Gen Z has been trying to log off from screens and pulling back toward offline activities for quite some time now. There has been a growing phenomenon where many in the younger generations are getting concerned with the amount of life getting digitsed and the addictive quality they bring.
The concept of doomscrolling and tips to get out of it is becoming trendy these days as Gen Z try to recapture living life offline instead of on their phones.
In light of that, several trends have emerged, and one of them is that of ‘analog bags’. These are simple tote bags filled with non-digital items like books, puzzles, journals, knitting supplies, film cameras and watercolour kits, intentionally assembled to distract from habitual phone use and endless scrolling.
What began as a niche social media curiosity has become one of the most talked-about lifestyle shifts of the year, with millions of videos, posts and discussions online exploring how to reduce screen time and reclaim attention spans.
With growing concerns about doomscrolling, mental fatigue and diminishing focus, Gen Z are turning to analog bags as a creative alternative to the constant pull of smartphones.
What Are Analog Bags?
Analog bags are, essentially, anti-screen kits, physical bags, usually canvas totes, filled with tactile, screen-free activities intended to replace the urge to pick up a smartphone.
Rather than carrying chargers and earbuds, people pack crossword or Sudoku books, novels and magazines, drawing or colouring supplies, knitting or embroidery kits, planners and even film cameras.
The contents can vary widely but the guiding idea is consistent, keep something satisfying and analog ready for those idle moments when one might otherwise doomscroll.
The term analog bags is said to have been created by content creator Sierra (Siece) Campbell, a 31-year-old from California.
Campbell posted a TikTok video in 2025 demonstrating her own analog bag, a tote filled with analog activities, and explaining that “My biggest fear is that I’ll lie on my deathbed and regret how much time I spent on my phone.”
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Campbell reportedly drew inspiration from The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, a book about replacing unhelpful behaviours with alternative routines. In her interpretation, putting a non-digital activity within arm’s reach provides an immediate, enjoyable substitute for the reflexive action of flipping open a screen.
As per a NY Post report she said, “If you go to your phone for news, put a newspaper in your bag,” adding how “If it’s for entertainment, try a good book. For creative inspiration, sketching tools or knitting. It’s just like physical fitness – whatever activity you’ll actually do is the best one to include.”
A social media user described the idea as a “toy box for your attention span” and since then the trend has spread far and wide across different platforms, with hundreds and thousands of people sharing their own analog bags and what they keep in it. These bags have also been refered to “stop scrolling bags”.
Emily Karst, a 32-year-old school principal in Ohio, speaking with Business Insider explained why the concept resonated with her, saying “What can I do to make it just as easy to pick up something that isn’t my phone? Sometimes it’s because I want to check the time or I need to look at my directions or whatever. But more often, it’s because there’s been some sort of break in the action, and I’ve conditioned myself. I’m so uncomfortable being bored that I’m just going to instantly get that dopamine hit and watch a couple of TikToks real quick.”
David Sax, the author of The Revenge of Analog, commenting on the trend said “The idea that we can all just get into a lotus pose and fall into a state of meditative bliss is wildly unrealistic for the vast majority of us. Our phones have everything you could ever ask for, so you need an alternative to hand in order to fill that void.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Guardian, Business Insider, Firstpost
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: Analog Bags, Analog Bags trend, Analog Bag gen z, gen z, gen z fashion, phone, gen z phone usage, stop scrolling bags, doomscrolling, doomscrolling gen z, grandma hobbies, reducing screen time, online addiction, Analog bags gen z trend
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