Is it cringe to be extremely online now?

From 'analog bags' to phone-free parties, 2025 marked a shift in how much of their time people are willing to spend on the internet.

The bag Emily Karst keeps in her car is filled with everything but her phone.

Instead, she usually packs her journal, some watercolor supplies, a needlepoint kit, a reading light and a murder mystery-themed puzzle book.

Karst, 32, calls it her “analog bag,” and she’s not the only one rocking one this year. Many people say carrying the accessory — typically packed with hobby supplies rather than electronic devices — has become their way to minimize their screen time.

“Even when I’m home and my analog bag is over on the hook, when I’m like, ‘OK, what do I want to do?’ that neural pathway that used to say, ‘Well, grab your phone,’ is starting to fire with the urge to maybe do needlepoint,” said Karst, who is an assistant principal at an elementary school in Ohio.

The popularity of the bag reflects a broader shift in 2025: People have generally become more intuitive about how much of their time they want to spend online. By turning to nondigital activities for entertainment, they’re trying to unplug, reclaim their attention spans and find renewed fulfillment in real-life experiences.