It seems that 2026 has been the year that people are realizing that maybe we don’t need to be so deeply entrenched in technology. Do a quick search on Substack, and I guarantee you will find tens, if not hundreds, of articles of people talking about going analog this year. I think this is a great move for society overall. However, I read a comment on a Substack post the other day that really resonated with me. The comment read, “This distinction matters: analog as practice versus analog as aesthetic. When corporations sell ‘analog vibes,’ they’re just metabolizing grief into another product cycle. Reuse, repair, and restraint are the actual countercultural acts, not nostalgia packaged at retail scale.” Let’s unpack that.

The trend among the younger generations is that everything is an “aesthetic.” To put it simply, I hate this with a passion. First, it drives me insane that people use it in the wrong context (ex. that outfit is aesthetic) instead of using it properly (ex. that outfit is aesthetically pleasing). Second, I think this view of everything being an aesthetic or a look enforces the ultra-consumerism capitalist culture we have in the Western world. Companies know when things are trendy, and they make new products to capitalize on the trend of the moment. For example, in my post on bringing back gatekeeping, I talk about the digicam trend and how people are going for an early 2000’s look for their photos, so companies are making cheap, terrible-quality cameras to fit the look of the early 2000’s (which, quite frankly, I think it does a terrible job at this). But let’s think about this for a second. A company sees the digicam trend, develops a terrible digital camera, and the consumer seeks it out to purchase it. However, I’m sure if you go to any yard sale, eBay, or even ask your parents, they have an old digicam lying around that a) gives you the actual look you are seeking since it is from the time period, b) brings new life to a product that was destined for e-waste, and c) does not further contribute to our constant throwaway culture that we have created.

So how does all of this relate to the analog aesthetic mentioned in the Substack comment? A growing trend on TikTok is going analog. People are posting videos of boomboxes, CDs, and books. However, I can’t help but find the irony in all of this. If you truly care about being analog and living like it’s 2003, you would not be posting these items on TikTok to gain views and followers. You would listen to your CD without anyone else ever knowing about it. People enjoy the look and feel of thinking about how the internet was this all-encompassing thing and it’s possible to step away from it. I enjoy that too! I think we all could benefit from offline activities where things are physical and have a single purpose. However, we need to be real and ask ourselves if we are doing things because we want to give off a certain look or aesthetic, or are we doing it because we actually want to change our lifestyles and go against the hyperconnected culture that has been ever-growing in the past 15 years? I think only one of those is a long-term solution to the problems that technology creates.

I’ll leave you with this. One of my favorite places in my house is the cabinet pictured below. It houses many things, but I love it because it represents a disconnection from the online world. It houses our record player, the records, CDs (still working to find a solution to play the actual CDs), and an iPod Hi-Fi to listen to our iPods and it acts as a speaker for the record player. It also contains some of my special Apple collectibles including an iBook, iPod nano, old iPhones, original iPad, and my old MacBook Pro. I also have this Severance-esque clock that unfortunately doesn’t work, but is set to 9:41 (IYKYK). I say all of this because when I put a record on or plug my iPod in, no one knows about it other than those in my house. There’s no streaming, no posting online, just you and the music. There’s a tactile nature to it all, and no one can take it away. It’s not just an aesthetic I am trying to convey, but a true change to the way I experience things. 

I want to close this out by saying that I am not criticizing people for going more analog, but I want people to consider why they are going analog. Are you doing it because it is the trend of the moment and you are trying to convey a look, or do you actually want to change the way you relate with technology? If you do choose to seek a more analog life, please check your local resale shops, record stores, or even eBay for your analog devices. Do not give into the corporate capitalism of purchasing new items that are just shittier versions of the devices they are representing from yesteryear. Good luck on your journey, and embrace the life of doing things offline!