There’s a conversation that’s been bubbling under for a few years now regarding “analog” coming back as a cultural and lifestyle trend for 2026, and I’m seeing it across social media, in magazines, and even my parents have asked me about it. This isn’t just a meme or niche idea anymore. This goes beyond the current trend that suggests that 2026 is the new 2016; multiple influential trend reports and experts (and even my dad) are signaling it as a meaningful shift.

This isn’t an anti-tech movement, and it’s not anti-AI, but after years of screens, apps, dashboards, notifications, and “one more platform you really need you to use,” there’s a growing cultural shift back toward things that are tactile, slow, imperfect, and real. I see this as a return to human connection, something that I’ve been craving for a while now, and that’s the reason why I chose ‘Analog’ as my #OneWord2026. Analog is the word that will sit on my shoulder and remind me to behave in a way that takes me closer towards becoming the person, and living the life, that I want for the year ahead.

I’ve felt this way for a while now, perhaps since the coronavirus pandemic. I’ve embraced technology, I’ve let algorithms choose my next playlist, I’ve hustled to maximize time, and productivity hacked to fill every working minute, and fallen deeper and deeper into an endless scroll of meaningless content and affiliate links. I feel like I am always on, but rarely present. I don’t need my Apple watch to tell me it’s time to move. If I tune into my body, I will notice that it’s been telling me the same thing.

The quote that I recently read, that tipped me over the edge, was this: “I felt like i didn’t have 20 minutes for a walk today, but I watched about 20 influencers do their workout routines”. I believe this quote comes from @TheKindredSpace, and it sums up exactly how I felt at the end of last year. I complain that I’m too busy to workout/read/meditate but then I lose time, passively scrolling online, watching influencers do all the things that I crave.

And so to 2026 and a move towards an increasingly analog existence. I want a slower, more intentional life rejecting passive use of technology, and avoiding the temptation to click on links that take me in a direction away from my intended source of focus. Yes, I’ll still use Face Time to contact friends, and yes I’ll still use my phone to listen to my friend Dom Servini’s radio shows on Mixcloud, but I’d rather discover new music from hearing it on a radio show, or via a recommendation from a friend, than having promoted playlists, with AI generated songs and paid-for promotions, sent my way via an algorithm.

And so, in preparation for my analog journey through the coming months, I have put together a list of items, that perhaps might find their way into my ‘analog bag’. This is a small bag which contains items to keep a busy mind satiated. Some people might include a craft, watercolors, a journal and puzzles, but at any given time my bag might contain the following:

While I always have a number of books, and audiobooks on the go at any one time, these two smaller paperbacks will remain in my analog book until completed. Meditation for Mortals ($14) is specifically meant to be read in short bursts – one short chapter/meditation per day, and the award-winning Expected Goals is written by the host of one of my favorite podcasts.

I need music around me at all times, and while some are suggesting that Sony Walkmans are returning, and cassettes and CD’s are making a come back, I will be carrying my old iPod around with me, rediscovering the music that I last updated on the device at least 5 years ago. When I return home, my ever-growing vinyl collection is waiting for me, reminding me of the rituals related to an intentional listening experience.

I plan on leaning into an analog approach at school too. I intend to find co-workers around the building to discuss their latest email to me, instead of simply hitting reply. I’ll let students brainstorm on paper before entering their thoughts into our online LMS on their iPads, and I’ll provide more feedback verbally, and via postcards (a practice I’ve neglected recently). Students can expect more ‘walk and talks’ and gallery walks….and I can model being present by intentionally putting my own phone away when it’s not needed.

None of this is groundbreaking. It’s intentional, it’s needed, and that’s the point.

If you enjoyed this blog post you might also enjoy the following:

I mentioned Dom Servini above, check out his guest post for #microblogmonth Multicultural Appreciation Through Music.

If you love music as much as I do, you’ll appreciate Spinning Records, Sparking Minds from Shannon Beatty

Your Watch Told You to Read This, from Peloton’s Adrian Williams reminds us that sometimes technology can take away our ability to think for ourselves, and my blog post Moving for a Healthier Mind reinforces the power of harnessing movement for mental health reasons.

It will come as no surprise that David Sax’s 2022 book The Future is Analog is my current Book of the Month selection.