I wanted to share a topic with you that has been resonating deeply with me lately: being online. Or rather, the lack of being offline. Today, being truly present has become a luxury. I increasingly feel that creativity needs space, but space is now something rare, unattainable, and luxurious.
We scroll every day - in the bathroom, while cooking, while eating. Podcasts, reels, notifications - everything plays in the background. There are no breaks, no silence, no blank spaces. Everything is just background noise.
As Jenny Odell writes in How to Do Nothing:
"To do the work, we need to rest, to read, to reconnect."
This is the invisible work that enables creative life. And that’s a sentence that really stayed with me.
My Experience: New Zealand and the disconnect
At the turn of the year, I was in New Zealand, literally at the end of the world. And there - my phone broke. Completely. For two weeks, I had no Instagram, no email, no banking apps, nothing. At first, I was terrified. I literally felt the stress physically. But then... came the feeling of peace.
When I returned and reached for my phone again, my partner said:
"You’re scrolling because you're bored."
And that was a turning point for me. I realized I needed to question my relationship with my phone. With being online. With being present.
From normal to luxury: how something free became unavailabled
What was once the norm - idleness, silence, lack of stimuli - is now becoming a luxury. But this isn’t by chance. It’s the result of a business model in which platforms profit from our constant presence.
Elisabeth Goodsteed, in an article from It’s Nice That, writes about the ethics of design - about how apps are built to turn us into constant consumers. Algorithms teach us, guide us, predict us.
For Gen Z, this isn’t a crisis; it’s daily life. They grew up with an interface in hand. The algorithm is their guide. The internet is no longer a space; it’s a stage.
There’s no longer community in the physical sense. It’s a feed of friends, a subculture on Reddit, or a story on Instagram.
Embodiment and humanism as the backdrop – but change is starting
Our embodiment, our physical presence, our humanism - all of this has taken a backseat. But I see that this is beginning to change. People are starting to rebel. They’re beginning to search for spaces and rituals that allow them to disconnect.
Some are walking to work - not for health, but to feel space again. They’re starting to listen to one podcast a day. They’re removing apps from their phones and using them only on desktops. These are new rituals.
Parents are changing too - consciously raising their children with a sense of digital hygiene.
Fatigue from attention and the return to simplicity
Our attention has become currency. And more and more people are tired of it.
- People are listening to music without multitasking.
- CDs are making a comeback.
- iPods are back.
- They’re walking without headphones.
- Offline groups and urban initiatives are emerging.
As Real Life writes - we’ve become constant consumer.
"We have normalized our consumption. Listening to a podcast while we walk, scrolling reels in the toilet. There is no breathing space for your mind."
The new currency: calm. The new need: reflection.
From digital minimalism to slow living, to contemplative content - it’s clear that calm is becoming the currency of the future.
AI helps us acquire knowledge faster, but it shallowly processes it.
Scrolling today is a form of “processing a bored brain.” But it doesn’t regenerate. It doesn’t create. It doesn’t bring anything new.
What does this mean for brands? – Burberry as an example
A great example of a brand that truly understands this trend is Burberry. They’ve done what could be called a masterclass in culture, slowdown, and relevance.
- The campaign at Glastonbury - images of British folk culture, a documentary aesthetic, zero digital overload.
- Burberry at the Nude - a pop-up as a country retreat, not a store. A forest, fire, tea. No CTA. An offline experience.
- Vinyl - yes, Burberry released a vinyl.
These are no longer products that are "sold." These are products that are happening within the culture people are now searching for. And that makes all the difference.
Cultural insights: gatekeeping and physicality
I’d like to share two insights that strongly resonate with this trend.
1. Gatekeeping as a culture of resistance
In a world where everyone recommends everything - ramen, TV shows, cosmetics - the phenomenon of gatekeeping is making a comeback. It means: not everything should be for everyone. Mystery, selectivity, personal curation - these things are once again valuable.
More and more people are keeping their favorite spots to themselves. Local restaurants are thriving thanks to word-of-mouth reputation, not virality. The greatest value lies in finding your unique gem.
Brands are starting to understand this:
- Private communities instead of open platforms.
- Limited drops.
- Physical spaces as selective experiences.
2. Return to physicality and ritual
Not everything can be translated into a feed. Experiences that can’t be digitally replicated are starting to hold value.
Pop culture turnaround - example: Bad Bunny
One of the turning points was when Bad Bunny released his album — physically, in an old-school way, beyond the reach of TikTok, embracing an analog ritual.
This is all part of the larger movement: slow, offline, present.
Summary: what does this mean for us and our actions?
- People are seeking space, ritual, and mindfulness.
- Fatigue from being online isn’t a niche - it’s an increasingly powerful cultural movement.
- Calm, physicality, curation, selectivity - these are the new needs.
- Brands that understand this — gain not only attention but loyalty.
- Creators who offer their audiences silence instead of stimuli — gain deeper engagement.
Does your brand provide space for thinking? Is it still possible to be a brand that encourages "being," not just "buying"? Are we ready to stop measuring everything by the time spent with content?
As a Brand Development Studio, we know one thing: it’s not about another campaign. It’s about understanding the rhythm.
We’ll follow this trend. We’ll write about it. We’ll ask what "presence" means for the brands of the future. For now — put down your phone. Get up. Go for a walk. Get bored. Because it’s in movement that cognitive mechanisms are activated, allowing your thoughts to reconnect. Maybe that’s when the best idea will come.
