Everything Old Is New Again

Here's something nobody saw coming. 🤔

The generation that literally grew up with a screen in their hands (the one that learned to swipe before they learned to write and has never known a world without WiFi) is now voluntarily buying flip phones, non-digital film cameras, rotary phones and $230 paper notebooks.

AKA if it does not have a Bluetooth connector, it’s considered premium merch. 🛍️

CNBC is calling this the "going analog" movement — and it's way bigger, and way more interesting, than it sounds. Especially if you’re a business owner.

Unlike with millennials, this isn't just about nostalgia for an era most of these kids weren't even alive for. One could argue that, instead, it’s essentially cultural pushback against a world that feels increasingly overwhelming, algorithmic, and honestly a little exhausting. 😮‍💨

Gen Z is increasingly abandoning smartphones in favor of basic flip phones, embracing what some are calling "dopamine diets" — a conscious effort to combat digital addiction and constant connectivity.

You can see this via what’s trending on socials.

Content tagged with "retro tech," "vlog camera," and "dumb phone" accumulated more than 8.2 billion views in 2025 alone.

Videos about not using the internet… on the internet. The irony isn’t lost on us. 😅

And the AI boom has only accelerated it. The more automated and artificial everything feels, the more people (especially younger ones) are opting for things that are tactile, slow, and undeniably human.

It’s not to say that Gen Z is rejecting technology entirely — they're simply becoming selective about where it belongs in their lives. Which is a pretty healthy approach, to be fair. 🧘

For our readers with an entrepreneurial brain, this is where you might wanna take notes. 📝

One such example is Camp Snap, a California-based company selling screen-free digital cameras that mimic the look and feel of old film cameras. Since launching in late 2023, they've sold over 1 million cameras — with sales up 350% at the end of last year compared to the same period in 2024.

Meanwhile, others are going even more old school by buying “vintage” models or even those drugstore disposable ones. 📸

A few years ago we also saw a major resurgence in demand for classic 90s games like Tamagotchis and GameBoys.

And then there’s (no-so-plain) paper notebooks. Louise Carmen, a Paris-based brand, sells leather journals for up to $232 each. After their daughter started posting TikTok videos of the customization process, roughly 60% of their online sales now ship to the US. (Some have even booked whole flights to Paris just to buy one in person — wild!) ✈️

Being offline has become the new luxury. 💎

In a world where everyone is always on, the ability to disconnect is increasingly being treated as a status symbol — a signal that you're disciplined, intentional, and in control of your own time and attention.

That's a powerful emotional hook for any brand to tap into. And you don't need to sell analog products to take advantage of this shift.

What you do need to understand is that a growing chunk of your audience is becoming increasingly exhausted by the relentless digital noise. So, they’re looking for things that feel real, personal, and genuinely made. 🫶🏻

AKA not a business model someone scrapped together on ChatGPT in an hour.

Basically, brands that lean into authenticity, tactile experience, and the feeling of slowing down in a fast-paced world. These things are going to resonate in a way that no perfectly targeted Instagram ad ever will.

One could even say that the businesses thriving here aren't keeping up with modern tech hype but arguably going against it.

The resurgence of analog isn't going anywhere — if anything, the more AI-driven our world becomes, the stronger the countermoves will get.

As one retail analyst put it, ”If we are going more and more digital and using more AI, the counter-trend is going to be very tactile. Nostalgia, to me, is the single biggest retail trend out there. It's not dying. It's getting stronger.” 💪

So while everyone else is racing to add AI features and automate everything in sight, there might be a very real and very profitable opportunity in going the other direction entirely.