"Analog bags" are in. Doomscrolling is out.

The latest must-have accessory is a "stop-scrolling bag" — a tote packed with analog activities like watercolors and crossword puzzles.Why it matters: We spend hours glued to our screens. "Analog bags," as they're also called, are one way millennials and Gen Zers are reclaiming that time.How it works: "I basically just put everything I could grab for instead of my phone into a bag," including knitting, a scrapbook and a Polaroid camera, says Sierra Campbell, the content creator behind the trend.The 31-year-old keeps one bag at home in Northern California, carrying it from room to room, and another in her car.State of play: The trend has quickly spread on social media, part of a bigger shift to unplug.Roughly 1,600 TikTok posts were tagged #AnalogLife during the first nine months of 2025 — up over 330% from the same period last year, according to TikTok data shared with Axios.Custom embroidered L.L. Bean Boat and Totes and canvas lookalikes are especially popular #AnalogBag picks. (That hashtag has around 900 TikTok posts this year so far.)Some parents load kid-friendly versions with toys, crayons and coloring books.The intrigue: Science explains why we keep reaching for our phones — and why carrying something else, even a single book, can help us stop.Scrolling, like other habits, is driven by a cue (boredom) and a reward (entertainment), says Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of "The Power of Habit.""If we want to change that [habit], we have to … find a new behavior that corresponds to that old cue and delivers something similar to that old reward," he tells Axios.Keeping your new habit within arm's reach makes the swap easier.The big picture: Stop-scrolling bags fit into a broader revival of analog hobbies, led by younger people, that researchers say is less about trendy nostalgia than embracing a pre-digital, pre-AI world.What we're hearing: "It speaks to an incredible desperation and desire for experiences that return our attention to us, that fight brain-rotting, that are tactile … that involve creating over scrolling," Beth McGroarty, vice president of research at the Global Wellness Institute, tells Axios.The nonprofit named "analog wellness" a top trend for 2025.The bottom line: The "ludicrously capacious bag" just got a wellness rebrand.

Comments

World news

$10,000 worth of Lululemon leggings stolen in Newfoundland, as organized retail crime on the rise in Canada

National Post

Amid fundraising woes and rumors of a Democrat mutiny against him, John Fetterman slams Kamala Harris for calling Trump a ‘fascist’

about 3 hours ago

Philippine victims of 2021 typhoon seek compensation from Shell

Independent

Comments

World news

$10,000 worth of Lululemon leggings stolen in Newfoundland, as organized retail crime on the rise in Canada

Trump to demolish entire East Wing of White House to make space for $300M ballroom: Latest

Annexing West Bank ‘would put Donald Trump’s Gaza plan at risk’, warns Marco Rubio

King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive at Vatican ahead of historic meeting with Pope Leo

Will Trump’s new sanctions on Russian oil companies actually work to stop Putin?

Belgium demands change in plan to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine

Amid fundraising woes and rumors of a Democrat mutiny against him, John Fetterman slams Kamala Harris for calling Trump a ‘fascist’

Philippine victims of 2021 typhoon seek compensation from Shell

Scientists fear volcano that was ‘extinct’ for 700,000 years has woken up as gas pressure builds

Indonesia defends decision to ban Israel gymnasts after IOC statement

Video: Suspect plants pipe bombs near DNC day before Capitol riots

Mysterious underground complex dubbed ‘Egypt’s Area 51’ revealed in unearthed photos

Suriname’s Coming Oil Boom

Person of interest in British girl's disappearance 55 years ago is named by Australian politician

British surfer dies after board snaps in rough seas in Melbourne - as friend who tried to save him also perishes

Tropical Storm Melissa expected to strengthen into a ‘catastrophic’ hurricane

Teenage girl awarded scholarship at British boarding school trapped in Gaza

Chess grandmaster investigated over ‘horrible’ attacks after death of Daniel Naroditsky

Flights cancelled as powerful storm prompts rare red warning in New Zealand

What are Donald Trump’s ‘tremendous’ new sanctions on Russia?

Nobody Wants This is the disappointment of the year

Cambodian police arrest 57 South Koreans over alleged links to online scams

Surfer in distress and rescuer both die in stormy weather in Australia

Judge to rule in 1972 Bloody Sunday murder case against former British soldier

Saudi Arabia appoints Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan al-Fawzan as kingdom's new grand mufti

Alleged Chinese drug trafficker recaptured in Cuba after escaping Mexican custody

Youth who led Madagascar protests hope coup leader will continue to hear them as president

Hundreds of Russian troops stranded and starving in ‘death zone’ on Ukraine’s Dnipro River

British man drowns in Australia after surfboard snaps during 80mph winds

Addiction, affairs and shaved eyebrows: Everything we learned from the definitive Ringo Starr biography

House-buying ‘on pause’ as Budget looms – whether you should wait

I live in a skip – I’m saving thousands on rent, but a kitchen would be nice

I kept my husband’s affair a secret – now I wish I’d told everyone

What Reform’s Kent nightmare means for Farage’s dream of becoming PM

I visited Jilly Cooper’s time-warp Cotswolds village with a farm shop and bluebell wood

How UK-made Storm Shadows are helping Ukraine as Trump dithers on Tomahawks

I played in the world’s smallest – and most magical – football league

Rachel Reeves has a month to prove herself – and it’s not looking good

I thought Chelsea’s transfers were bonkers – but it turns out they were right

EU summit aims for new Russia sanctions and a plan to help Ukraine

"Analog bags" are in. Doomscrolling is out.

Snapshots of life at the White House East Wing

How Europe Is Trying to Turn Frozen Russian Assets Into Cash for Ukraine

Suspect accused of killing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte light rail may face death penalty if convicted

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump sanctions Russian oil giants over Putin’s ‘lack of commitment to peace’

Mapped: The crucial Ukraine region Trump says should be ‘cut up’ between Zelensky and Putin

Trump now says his ballroom will cost $300M and the entire East Wing of the White House will be demolished to make space

Philip Pullman has become so famous, no-one dares edit him

Seven mistakes first-time buyers make when applying for a mortgage

‘Wrecking ball presidency’ – Trump’s White House East Wing demolition sparks outcry

British man dies off coast of Melbourne after surfboard snaps

Former world champion facing disciplinary action after sudden death of chess grandmaster

Entire East Wing of White House will be demolished for ballroom - as Trump urged to pause project

Trump defends $300M ballroom project: "We had to take down the existing" East Wing

Chinese Impersonator’s Trump Act Has Won Him Millions of Fans

Can a Beach Really Be Evil? Ask the Sun-Seekers in Good Sahel.

Nepal’s Gen Z Sees Little Hope at Home

Judicial changes, addiction treatment options needed to fight crime, says Kelowna’s new top cop

Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, B.C. man continues to give back

London Knights name leadership group for 2025-26