In an always-online world, more people are looking for ways to slow down. From journaling and crafting to reading and puzzles, a growing global movement is encouraging people to step away from screens and reconnect with analog activities.
That impulse recently showed up in Pensacola.
Inside the Education Research Library at the University of West Florida, about half a dozen long tables were covered with old magazines, colored paper, glue sticks and scissors. Nearly every chair was filled as participants leaned over their work, cutting and pasting recycled materials into handmade junk journals.
There was a bit of awkward chatter as people sat next to strangers, some meeting for the first time. What stood out most was what was missing. No one held a phone. A few phones rested face down on the tables, largely ignored, as hands stayed busy with paper and glue.
The event was organized by Ashley Byrd, program manager of the UWF Education Research Library. She said the idea grew out of her own experience with junk journaling and her interest in following cultural trends.
“I am actually an avid junk journaler myself,” Byrd said. “When I was doing it over the summer, I was having so much fun with it.”
Byrd said she noticed junk journaling gaining popularity online and saw an opportunity to bring that interest into a physical space.
“One of my goals is to always get more people in the library,” she said. “So I always try to see what’s trending, whether it’s on YouTube or Pinterest. I saw a lot of junk journaling.”
While the trend may have gained traction online, Byrd said the appeal is rooted in stepping away from digital life.
“I’m huge into using your hands to de-stress,” she said.
Among those attending was Britiny Vetitoe, who works in the University of West Florida’s Office of the Registrar.
“It just sounded like a lot of fun,” Vetitoe said. “It’s a cute little activity to kind of break up the week and get some creative juices flowing.”
Vetitoe said the draw went beyond making a journal.
“A lot of people are trying to become more analog and get away from technology,” she said. “So this is a cute way to encourage that.”
She said she was not sure yet how she would use her journal. It might become a place to write down ideas, or something more reflective. For now, she focused on making it her own.
Online, the push toward analog life has even picked up its own vocabulary. Some people talk about building “analog bags” or baskets filled with non-digital activities like books, crafts or puzzles. The goal is to have something within reach that does not involve a screen.
Ashley Byrd said the tranquility created by the activity was intentional.
“You want to do something with your hands and your mind so you can kind of calm down,” she said.
She also noticed something else happening around the tables.
“I saw a lot of people making friends here that they’ve never met before,” Byrd said.
For a few hours, a global desire to unplug took shape in one room in Pensacola. Strangers sat together, phones turned face down, finding relief in paper, scissors and the simple act of making something by hand.
