{"id":72390,"date":"2026-03-19T10:32:03","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T10:32:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/insight\/analogue-rebellion\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T10:32:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T10:32:03","slug":"analogue-rebellion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/us\/insight\/analogue-rebellion\/","title":{"rendered":"Analogue rebellion: Why audiences are digitally detoxing and how to win them back"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just like instant noodles, there are things we can cook up in seconds with AI that would take us forever to create from scratch. A podcast hosted by cats. A \u2018photo\u2019 of a Roman centurion doomscrolling. An article by a fake author about a fake product with fake glowing reviews. Never mind ultra-processed food \u2013 we are living in an era of ultra-processed content.<\/p>\n

Thanks to AI, the possibilities for online content are endless. And that \u2013 for some consumers \u2013 is the problem.<\/p>\n

An analogue rebellion is gaining momentum, characterised by a wave of nostalgia for simpler technology \u2013 think vinyl, CDs, camcorders and turn-of-the-millennium mobile phones \u2013 and a rejection of the virtual sphere with its AI-conjured reality, social media and streaming platforms.<\/p>\n

The backlash may be a drop in the digital ocean, but it should ring alarm bells for brands. Just when ChatGPT has given us the superpower of cheap, easy, high-volume content, audiences are branding it \u201cAI slop\u201d and going on digital detoxes.<\/p>\n

Here, we look at four drivers of the analogue rebellion and how brands can learn from them to win back the digital dropouts.<\/p>\n

Overwhelm<\/h3>\n

Dr Rupy Aulja has two mobile phones. During the week, he uses his \u2018cocaine\u2019 phone \u2013 a device loaded with dopamine-stimulating social media and streaming apps. On weekends, he switches to his \u2018kale\u2019 phone \u2013 a basic device with access only to calling, text, maps and internet search. By reducing his phone usage, the TV doctor aims to give his nervous system a break from the constant stimulation of modern digital life, reducing mental overwhelm.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s not alone. On average, we check our phones 144 times a day, according to screen time management app TimeOut<\/a>. And the growth of tools designed to help people unplug suggests that many of us feel overwhelmed by the daily assault of distracting apps and notifications. Three out of four Gen Z users report spending more time on their phones than they believe is preferable and 41% are actively trying to cut back on usage, with other generations not far behind, a 2026 study by SQ Magazine found<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What this means for brands:\u202f<\/strong><\/h4>\n