A new kind of bag is grabbing attention, and it has nothing to do with big brands. This bag is special because it focuses on what people carry inside. Called an Analogue Bag, it is packed with offline
items like puzzle books, knitting tools, novels, notebooks, and pens. The concept is simple: when the phone is put away, these analogue activities take its place. Increasingly, Millennials and Gen Z are picking up this habit to cut down screen time and slow endless scrolling.
The trend began in August 2025, when California-based creator Sierra Campbell shared her own version on TikTok. She packed her bag with items that helped her stay engaged without a screen. Since then, social media has been flooded with videos showing what people carry in their Analogue Bags and how they swap items based on daily routines. Campbell later explained that the idea was inspired by The Power of Habit, which suggests that it is easier to change a habit by replacing it with another rather than stopping it altogether.
A Bag That Focuses On Life Beyond Screens
Speaking with Marie Claire, Sierra Campbell explained, “Artificial Intelligence being forced on us from every direction has served as a kind of collective rock bottom. We’re tired of the lack of slow creativity, personal connection, and all the good things that make us human. Creating the analogue bag was my way of saying, I don’t care how phone-dependent we are, there has to be another way to reclaim our full lives outside of a screen.”
“The book, The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, talks about how replacing a habit [with another] is the only true way to wean off one, so I made something that mimics my phone’s entertainment features without the doomscrolling,” she adds.
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What People Usually Carry Inside
The Analogue Bag trend is easy to try and does not require extra spending. Anyone can take part without buying anything new. The bag could be an old cloth tote or even a work laptop bag; what truly matters is what you keep inside. If you like staying updated, you can add a newspaper. If you enjoy creative pursuits, magazines or drawing books work well. For restless hands, knitting or needlework can help. The key is to keep the bag small and light so it’s easy to carry every day. Instead of staring at a phone and scrolling through other people’s lives, these spare moments can be used to do something real, calming, and useful for yourself.
Everyone has a different version of an analogue bag. Many carry books or magazines. Puzzle lovers add crosswords or Sudoku along with pens or pencils. Some prefer knitting tools or embroidery kits. Writing fans have a journal or planner for notes and thoughts. Others enjoy drawing or colouring, so sketchbooks and colour pencils are commonly found. A few also bring small paint sets or origami paper for creative breaks.
For fun, travel games, puzzles or a deck of cards work well. Some even carry digital cameras to capture special moments. Each bag is unique, and it reflects how its owner likes to spend free time offline.
