Simplicity Becomes Another Performance
A Gentle Observation
Lately, I’ve seen a lot on YouTube and other social media sites about “Going Analog.” Using pen and paper planners, switching back to a digital or even a 35 mm camera, reading physical books, and trying out new hands-on hobbies. Soft music plays in the background to create a cozy atmosphere. However, something feels off; it still seems contrived and more like a performance than a genuine change. Is it just more clickbait and less substance? Is this just another trend focused on aesthetics or seeking approval? “Going Analog” should be about finding freedom from constant connectedness and noise, and less about consuming content and material things.
Talk about Contradictions
Creating videos about slow morning routines and encouraging followers to see your affiliate links so they can buy the items you’re using to establish this new routine, promoting simplicity in marketing to buy less and live more intentionally, and slow down more.
I guess I’ve been embracing the analog life for a while now. I have a smartphone and tried using its calendar, but I still find that a basic calendar and a small notebook help me stay more focused and productive. Going analog doesn’t have to mean spending $25 on a planner filled with stickers, graphs, a vision board, and monthly quotes just to stay motivated.
Buying something vintage-style doesn’t make life simpler because it looks like something from the past, when life seemed slower and more focused. It should be about stepping away—away from keyboards, away from nonstop media, putting the phone down to play with your children, and not feeling pressured to document it so someone can give you a like or heart emoji. This trend doesn’t feel like stepping away; it feels more like stepping into a different kind of pressure.
Real Analog
So, what does true analog living look like? It’s stepping back from the fast and noisy pace. In my own life, it’s being unseen; it’s not filming or optimizing for views, pay, or approval. It might be writing a note to a friend who lives out of state. Reading from books I already own or checking out a new one from the library. It’s not recording clips or taking pictures while I’m playing with my granddaughters or cooking a meal. It’s sitting quietly at appointments or jotting down ideas in a notebook, and reading a book. You don’t have to prove you are living simply. You don’t need to make it a beautiful or attention-grabbing thumbnail. A slower life loses meaning the moment it becomes something we need to display.
True Analog Living
To me, true analog living is about simplicity. The core of simplicity isn’t about appearance; it’s about continuously examining the things in your life that distract you from what truly matters. It involves taking the time to determine what really matters and what will set you free.
Proverbs 15:16 (NIV)
Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.