9 Simple Things Young People Are Doing to Make Life Better

They grew up with smartphones in their pockets and algorithms in their feeds. Now they’re trading screen time for slow living, digital clutter for physical objects, and convenience for craft. The generation that was supposed to be the most online in history is quietly rediscovering the analog world — and they’re not looking back.

There’s a certain irony in watching a generation raised on instant gratification embrace things that take time. But that’s exactly what’s happening. Across TikTok, Reddit, and group chats, Gen Z is swapping modern convenience for old-school habits that their grandparents would recognise.

The reasons are surprisingly practical. In a world that feels increasingly fast, fake, and overwhelming, these habits offer something rare: control, authenticity, and a sense of accomplishment that no app can replicate. A 2026 study from the University of California found that 62% of adults under 30 report feeling “overwhelmed by digital noise” , and 41% say they’re actively trying to reduce their screen time. But that’s not the whole story. These habits aren’t just about escaping technology. They’re about reclaiming agency over daily life.

Here are nine old-school habits Gen Z is bringing back — and why they’re making life better.

1. Writing by Hand

In an age of keyboards and voice-to-text, handwriting has become a deliberate act. Gen Z is buying notebooks, fountain pens, and stationery at rates that have surprised retailers. The hashtag #handwriting has over 4 billion views on TikTok.

Why it works: Research consistently shows that writing by hand improves memory retention and comprehension. A 2024 study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that handwriting activates more extensive brain connectivity patterns than typing, which “supports the idea that handwriting helps the brain form memories”. There’s also something meditative about the physical act itself — the scratch of pen on paper, the slower pace, the inability to hit “undo”.

How to start: Buy a cheap notebook and a pen you actually like. Write three things you’re grateful for each morning, or journal for five minutes before bed. No app required.

2. Reading Physical Books

E-readers promised convenience. But Gen Z is buying paper books — and a lot of them. According to the American Booksellers Association, print book sales have grown for five consecutive years, with the largest growth among readers aged 18 to 34.

Why it works: Physical books don’t ping you with notifications. They don’t have a “jump to chapter” feature that tempts you to skip ahead. They exist in three dimensions, which makes them easier to remember. A 2025 study from the University of Valencia found that readers of print books showed “stronger emotional engagement and narrative comprehension” than digital readers. Books also serve as physical markers of identity — the bookshelf as self-expression.

How to start: Visit a local bookstore or library. Pick up a book that looks interesting. Read 10 pages before bed instead of scrolling.

3. Baking Bread and Cooking From Scratch

The pandemic sourdough boom was supposed to be a fad. It wasn’t. Gen Z is baking bread, making pasta from scratch, and fermenting things at rates that have kept kitchenware retailers busy. TikTok has made “focaccia art” and “sourdough scoring” into genuine creative subcultures.

Why it works: Cooking from scratch is slower than ordering takeout. That’s the point. It requires focus, patience, and physical engagement — a combination that researchers say produces a “flow state” similar to meditation. A 2026 study from the University of Edinburgh found that people who cook from scratch at least four times a week report higher life satisfaction and lower anxiety than those who rely on prepared food.

How to start: Pick one thing to make from scratch this week. Bread, pasta, soup, anything. Don’t worry about perfection. The process is the point.

4. Film Photography and Disposable Cameras

Film photography was supposed to be dead. Instead, it’s thriving. Sales of disposable cameras have increased by 150% since 2020, according to market research firm Euromonitor. Gen Z is buying 35mm film cameras, developing rolls at local labs, and waiting days to see their photos.

Why it works: Film forces you to slow down. You have 24 or 36 shots. You can’t check the result. You can’t delete and retake. You have to be intentional. The delayed gratification — waiting to see what you captured — is the opposite of the instant-feedback loop of digital photography. And the aesthetic is unmistakable: grainy, warm, imperfect.

How to start: Buy a disposable camera. Take it somewhere interesting. Get the photos developed. Don’t post them all at once.

5. Handwritten Letters and Cards

Email is fast. Texting is faster. But Gen Z is sending letters. The US Postal Service reported a 12% increase in personal mail volume among adults under 30 in 2025 — the first increase in decades.

Why it works: A letter takes time. It takes thought. It requires you to sit down, choose words carefully, and commit them to paper. There’s no edit button, no emoji reaction. The person receiving it knows you spent effort on them. That’s rare in an age of one-tap responses.

How to start: Buy a pack of notecards. Write to one person this week. It doesn’t have to be long. “Thinking of you” is enough.

6. Board Games and Card Games

Video games are more immersive than ever. But board game sales have been climbing for a decade, and Gen Z is a significant part of that growth. The global board game market is projected to reach $40 billion by 2028, with “social deduction” games like Codenames and Werewolf driving popularity among younger players.

Why it works: Board games require you to be in the same room as other people. You have to look at them, read their faces, negotiate, bluff, and laugh together. That’s a kind of social connection that online gaming — for all its merits — can’t fully replicate.

How to start: Invite a few friends over. Pick a simple game. Serve snacks. Put your phones in another room.

7. Thrifting and Mending Clothes

Fast fashion is cheap. But Gen Z is increasingly rejecting it. Thrift store sales have grown 25% annually since 2023, and the #VisibleMending hashtag has over 1.5 billion views on TikTok.

Why it works: Thrifting and mending are acts of resistance against a culture of disposability. They save money. They reduce waste. And they produce something unique — a wardrobe that doesn’t look like everyone else’s. Mending, in particular, has become a creative outlet: visible stitches in contrasting colors turn a repair into a design feature.

How to start: Before you throw away a torn shirt, try mending it. Watch a YouTube tutorial. Use thread that doesn’t match. Embrace the imperfection.

8. Walking and Cycling Instead of Driving

Gen Z is less likely to own a car than any previous generation. According to a 2026 report from the American Public Transportation Association, licensed drivers among 16- to 24-year-olds have dropped from 76% in 2000 to 62% in 2026. Instead, they’re walking, cycling, and using public transit.

Why it works: Walking and cycling are slower than driving, but that’s the appeal. You notice things. You interact with your neighborhood. You get exercise without going to the gym. And you save money — a lot of it.

How to start: Pick one errand you’d normally drive to. Walk it instead. Bring headphones. Take a different route home.

9. Going Phone-Free for Set Periods

This is the big one. Gen Z is the first generation to grow up with smartphones as a constant presence — and they’re the first to actively push back against it. From “dopamine detoxes” to “phone-free weekends” to the rise of minimalist “dumb phones” (the Light Phone, the Punkt MP02), the trend is unmistakable.

Why it works: The constant notification loop — the ping, the scroll, the refresh — keeps the nervous system in a state of low-grade alert. Removing the phone for even a few hours resets that baseline. A 2026 study from the University of Pennsylvania found that participants who limited social media to 30 minutes per day reported significant reductions in anxiety and depression after just three weeks.

How to start: Leave your phone in another room for one hour a day. Don’t check it first thing in the morning. Go for a walk without it. The world will still be there when you get back.

The Pattern Behind the Habits

Notice what these nine habits have in common. They’re slow. They’re physical. They require attention. They can’t be optimized or automated. And they produce something — a loaf of bread, a photograph, a letter, a repaired shirt — that exists in the real world.

Gen Z isn’t rejecting technology. They’re rejecting the assumption that faster and easier is always better. They’re discovering what every generation before them knew: that some things are worth doing the hard way.

The old-school habits aren’t a rejection of modernity. They’re a correction. A reminder that life isn’t just something to be optimized. It’s something to be lived.