Woman shares what she keeps in her 'analog bag,' and it starts an offline movement

If you’re looking for ways to stop the doomscrolling and reclaim some of your attention span back, good news: Gen Z and millennials might have finally cracked the code. And thankfully, the answer isn’t deleting every app, throwing your phone into the sea, or becoming a monk.

It’s…a tote bag. A tote bag that screams '90s nostalgia, but apparently works like a charm against modern-day ails.

All over TikTok, people are assembling what they call “analog bags”—carefully packed totes full of screen-free activities: fantasy paperbacks, tarot cards, sticker books, embroidery hoops, tiny radios, you name it…the possibilities are endless. Some even concoct full-on craft stations in a wicker basket for extra whimsy points.

The idea is simple: instead of trying to use willpower alone to fight the pull of your phone, you replace the habit with something more hands-on, creative, and perhaps most important of all, enjoyable.

The trend first took off thanks to content creator Sierra (Siece) Campbell, who first shared her own analog bag containing a knitting project, a good book, an old-school Polaroid camera and film, her planner, and a portable watercolor set.

“Put your phone down right now and go make one,” she said. And the people listened, apparently. Pretty soon, more folks were showing off their own analog bags filled with retro entertainment.

One of those people is Emily Dietzmann, who told Upworthy:

“I have been loving my analog bag because we try to do no screen time since we have little ones in our house, so having the analog bag has given me a way to keep my hands busy while my daughter plays on her own or naps! It’s also so fun because spending my time using the things in it always comes with a physical reward when I finish the projects!”

For overwhelmed parents, chronically online young adults, and really anyone whose phone has slowly eaten their attention span, finding novel ways to unplug feels like a lifeline back to themselves. No wonder #AnalogLife has jumped more than 330% in the first nine months of 2025. The Global Wellness Institute even named “analog wellness” one of its top trends for 2025 because of the cultural craving for slower, more tactile experiences.

As one person in the comments section put it, “I miss the 90s lifestyle. It’s time to bring it back.”

Why analog bags are an effective tool for brain rot

From Campbell’s perspective, breaking a scrolling habit “isn’t less technology, it’s more analog fun.” In her video, she referenced Charles Duhigg, best-selling author of The Power of Habit, who noted that changing a habit is easier when you replace it with a new behavior that offers a similar reward to a repeated cue. In this case, scrolling is driven by a cue (boredom) and offers the reward of entertainment (aka dopamine). An analog bag offers that same feeling and is at arm’s length, making it an easy swap.

If you want your own analog bag, you don’t need anything fancy. Grab a tote or a basket, toss in things that make you feel human, and keep it within reach. It really is that easy—and so, so pivotal for reclaiming some peace and vitality. Or, as Campbell told Business Insider, those “really wonderful opportunities to have a fun and deep life.”