Longing for a Time Before Smartphones: Generation Z and the Rise of ‘Anemoia’

The Paper Comeback No One Saw Coming
Generation Z’s Fascination with ‘Going Analog’

Generation Z, who grew up with smartphones, is now reaching for paper again. Magazines, once considered the first casualties of the digital era, are making a comeback. In particular, so-called "teen magazines"—packed with horoscopes, celebrity features, and quizzes—are aiming for a new revival by launching editions targeted at young people suffering from digital fatigue.

The cover of the first issue features pop star Justin Bieber and model-entrepreneur Hailey Bieber as a couple. The two, who are not professional photographers, took photos of each other using a Contax point-and-shoot camera. WYOUTH Instagram

According to a report in The New York Times on September 9, the American fashion and culture magazine W will unveil the first issue of its new sister publication, WYOUTH, on September 15, targeting teenage and young adult readers. The creation of WYOUTH began when film director Sofia Coppola texted W editor-in-chief Sara Moonves last year, suggesting, "How about making a W for teenagers?"

The cover of the first issue features pop star Justin Bieber and model-entrepreneur Hailey Bieber as a couple. The two, who are not professional photographers, took photos of each other using a Contax point-and-shoot camera. The first issue, at 182 pages, is produced at half the size of the regular W magazine, designed so it can be easily carried in a bag and shared with friends. It will be published twice a year, and a dedicated section will also be provided on W’s website.

The content also revives the feel of magazines that once dominated American teenagers’ bedrooms. It includes horoscopes, quizzes about friendships, interviews with young musicians, and fashion photo spreads. Singer Claerore is interviewed by Charli XCX, and there are paper cut-out dolls for readers to dress up themselves.

WYOUTH editor Ava Nirui explained that the magazine aimed to deliver beautiful, aspirational imagery, while also pursuing a “scrapbook-like feel” that allows readers to cut and paste for themselves.

The Return of the Vanished 'Teen Magazine'

This revival stands in stark contrast to publishing industry trends just a few years ago. ‘Seventeen’, once the flagship magazine for American teens, stopped regularly publishing print issues in 2018. ‘Teen Vogue’ discontinued its print edition and was integrated into Vogue.com last year. ‘Sassy’ and the celebrity magazine ‘Tiger Beat’ have also disappeared from the scene.

Adult fashion magazines also reduced their print frequency, citing high production and distribution costs and the inability to track reader responses as quickly as digital media. Yet, the very generation that grew up during the decline of print magazines is returning to print. Nirui told the New York Times that young people “yearn for a pre-internet era,” and that they value the experience of pulling a magazine out of a bag and enjoying it together with friends. Unlike scrolling seamlessly to the next piece of digital content, the act of physically turning each page has become a unique charm of magazines.

Film, LPs, CDs—The Digital Generation Deeply Drawn to the Lure of Analog

The resurgence of print magazines is closely connected to Generation Z’s increasingly visible “Going Analog” trend in 2026. Young consumers are rediscovering physical products and experiences, such as film cameras, CDs, LPs, flip phones, and paper books, which had previously been edged out by smartphones and streaming services. Youth-focused research agency YPulse also identified “Going Analog” as a separate trend this July, analyzing the shift among young people in North America and Western Europe toward vintage technology, paper-based media, and offline experiences.

The return of print magazines aligns with the growing 'Going Analog' trend among Generation Z, which has become more pronounced in 2026. It is a phenomenon where young consumers are rediscovering physical products and experiences such as film cameras, CDs, LPs, flip phones, and paper books, which were previously pushed aside by smartphones and streaming services. Pixabay

Surveys reveal marked “screen fatigue.” In a Harris Poll of 2,068 American adults, 81% of Generation Z responded that they wished it were easier to disconnect from digital devices. Seventy-one percent of all consumers said that paper catalogs and magazines feel more authentic than digital ads. Among Millennials and Generation Z, 63% reportedly have an interest in paper magazines.

A similar phenomenon is occurring in the music market as well. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), CD sales in the United States reached $171.1 million in the first half of this year, marking a 58.6% increase compared to the same period last year, while LP sales also grew by 17.7%. Pixabay

This movement in the magazine industry is not limited to WYOUTH. The teen magazine “Cuqui” launched a print journal this summer and plans to publish a monthly print edition starting January 2027. One of its defining features is offering members a physical membership card instead of an online membership. Germany's Burda publishing house also launched “InStyle GenZ” last year for readers aged 13–28, and, encouraged by positive responses from both readers and advertisers, increased the publication frequency to twice a year in 2026.

A similar trend is visible in the music market. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), CD sales in the United States reached $171.1 million in the first half of this year, a 58.6% jump year-over-year, and LP sales also rose by 17.7%. In an era dominated by music streaming, the appeal of tangible music formats is being rediscovered.

Longing for a Time Never Lived...‘Anemoia’

One word that describes this phenomenon is “anemoia”—a nostalgia for an era one has never personally experienced. This neologism was coined by writer John Koenig in 2012 as part of his project “The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.” For Generation Z, 1980s–1990s magazines, film cameras, and LPs are not aspects of their own childhood. However, they are drawn to the slower pace of life, the anticipation, and the very imperfections of a bygone era that they never actually lived through.

One of the words that describe this phenomenon is "anemoia." It refers to a nostalgia for a time one has never personally lived through. Pixabay

But it does not mean this generation is abandoning smartphones or seeking a full return to the past. Rather, they want experiences that are finite, tangible, and possessable in the midst of ever-scrolling, algorithm-driven digital life. Paper magazines best symbolize this desire. A video watched on TikTok is pushed aside after a few seconds by the next clip, but with a magazine, you have to physically turn the page.

You can cut out a favorite picture and stick it to your wall, lend the magazine to a friend, or keep it on your bookshelf. By digital standards, this might seem “inconvenient,” but in an age where everything is instantly consumed and vanishes, that inconvenience itself becomes a new source of value and culture.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.