For more than a decade, the promise of constant connectivity was marketed as progress as smartphones offered speed, social media promised community, and apps filled every idle moment. But for Gen Z, the first generation to grow up fully online, and increasingly for Millennials, Gen X, and even Boomers, the “always-on” lifestyle is beginning to feel less like freedom and more like fatigue.
A new study suggests a reset is underway. From planned digital detoxes to rediscovering paper books and handwritten notes, young Americans are beginning to reassess how technology fits into their daily lives.
Click through the gallery to explore the habits people are dropping and what it says about life in a digital world.