Gen Z craves nostalgia, resorting to pre-tech era, new study says

The youngsters are craving a simpler time.Despite being dubbed a social-media-obsessed generation, Gen Z is going old-school, trading digital tech for analog, according to a new study.Yearning to unplug, younger consumers are snapping up vintage tech — from flip phones and film cameras to record players — in an effort to escape addictive apps and stay offline.After polling 1,500 people ages 13 to 39, YPulse, a market research firm focused on youth intelligence, found that two-thirds are turning to analog.The report also found that young people aren’t just buying old-school tech — they’re also replacing endless scrolling with “granny hobbies” like crocheting and photography.It’s called anemoia — longing or yearning for a time you weren’t even alive for.Dr.Don Grant, a media psychologist and national advisor on healthy device management for Newport Healthcare, told The Post that “Z-ers” aren’t just romanticizing nostalgia and the simpler life that existed before they were born — they’re turning it into a lifestyle. “They’re buying the flip phones, they’re using film cameras.

Nostalgia may have sparked the trend, but it’s the benefits,” Grant said.“It started as nostalgia, this whole return to the analog deal, but it’s sticking because it feels good.”Evidence suggests that the trend is sticking: sales — and downloads, ironically.Brick — the $59 device that locks your phone to limit distractions and doomscrolling — and flip phone sales have both skyrocketed over the past few years.Back in January, Brick’s downloads shot up nearly 600% year over year, according to estimates from research firm Sensor Tower.For people like Autumn Parks, 27, the appeal is simple.The Indiana stay-at-home mom told The Post that social media users her age want physical ways — like the Brick — to get off their screens.

With apps designed to keep users scrolling, she said, self-control is no longer enough.“I have my Brick on a schedu...