Recent data highlights a striking social shift: Even as technology advances at breakneck speed, many Americans are intentionally stepping back through “digital detoxes” that are genuinely enhancing their lives.

Talker Research (TR), on behalf of ThriftBooks, dug deeper into the lives of those who wanted a break from the technology dominating their lives. Of 2,000 Americans surveyed, “50% said they’ve made a point to disconnect digitally and spend less time on screens for their well-being.” While this statistic alone is eye-catching, it’s the “why” behind it that’s really telling.

According to TR, “respondents said that being digitally disconnected makes them feel more productive (42%), present for their loved ones (33%) and aware of the goings-on in their daily lives (36%).” Conversely, after “spending too much time on screens, people reported they feel overwhelmed (25%), anxious (22%), irritable (18%), and unsatisfied with their lives (19%). They also reported that, on average, 70% of the time they spend online leads to feelings of disconnection and loneliness rather than authentic connection.”

Evidently, putting down the phone didn’t mean idleness, so the real question became about what people were turning to instead. As the study showed, Americans favored non-digital alternatives by embracing “slower, more tangible ways of living.” Notably, at least 84% of respondents said “they’ve incorporated analogue lifestyle choices in their day-to-day” such as writing in notebooks, reading books, playing physical games, using alarm clocks, wearing wristwatches, listening to records or CDs, and using actual cameras instead of smartphones. Also, in place of scrolling, people prioritized reading, quality time with friends and family, hands-on hobbies, and time outdoors.

StudyFinds analyst Steve Fink put it well when he wrote that “these aren’t random nostalgic choices. A notebook doesn’t send notifications. A board game doesn’t auto-play the next episode. A watch tells time without delivering a flood of texts and app alerts. Physical objects force pauses that screens eliminate.” Maybe, just maybe, these aren’t coincidences, but a reflection of how humans are better off when they aren’t constantly bombarded by digital stimulus.

And would you be surprised to learn that Gen Z is leading the charge on much of this? At least 63% of Gen Z, “despite growing up with smartphones as extensions of their hands,” Fink noted, “now intentionally unplug. That’s the highest rate of any generation surveyed. Millennials follow at 57%, then Gen X at 42%m and Baby Boomers at 29%. Digital natives, it turns out, are the first to recognize what all that connectivity is costing them.” Similarly, “Gen Z (54%) and Millennials (43%) are also more likely than Gen X (33%) and Baby Boomers (22%) to have a designated screen-free time in their day.” Gen Z (71%) and Millennials (70%) were also the ones to most prioritize slowing down.

Behind this barrage of numbers lies a clear, compelling trend. As Barbara Hagen, vice president of Sales and Marketing for ThriftBooks, observed, “The study findings indicate that people are more aware than ever of the value of offline time. What’s even more interesting and positive to see is that people are replacing this time with healthy habits and activities, like reading.” And the survey reinforced this awakening: “more than three-quarters (77%) said that the older they grow, the more they realize the importance of spending time in the ‘real world’ as opposed to the online world.”

There’s a lot to appreciate about Fink’s conclusion. “Let’s not get too carried away,” he wrote, “Americans aren’t abandoning technology. They’re reclaiming control over when and how they use it. Digital tools provide real utility, but utility and omnipresence aren’t the same thing. A phone can be useful without being ever-present. As 2026 begins, that distinction is finally becoming clear.”

In one sense, it’s almost astonishing that it took until 2026 for this awareness to gain traction. In another, it’s a familiar human pattern: we often allow something to spiral before choosing restraint. Technology remains extraordinary — the power to connect instantly with loved ones, enhance safety, and unlock otherwise distant opportunities is remarkable. Yet, humans were not built to live through screens.

We were never designed to isolate ourselves in bedrooms, wasting away in endless scrolls. We were meant to first invest in the people physically around us, not the latest TikTok influencer you probably don’t actually know anything about. We were created to think deeply, not outsource cognition to algorithms. This study, far from revealing groundbreaking information, highlighted truths we should already know: humans thrive through real engagement. We need authenticity. We crave depth.

Distractions get in the way of our time with the Father, fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and God’s word — engagements we were quite literally designed for. And yet, we’re so easily distracted. There was a time when war, poverty, and famine claimed the attention of those desperate just to get by. But for Americans today, such as those surveyed, so many of us are surrounded by wealth — a roof over our heads, a bed to sleep on, and more than enough food to live on. And then, somehow, we still choose to complain, take for granted, or sidestep the precious blessings we’ve received.

But what if we were to change the narrative? What if we were to reorient our priorities? Psalm 1 tells us, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” God created us to prosper, and His own word tells us how to do so: by delighting in Him and meditating on His truth.

So, as we read studies about how and why technology helps or harms us, we see here that people do want to live better lives. As we chase after such a pursuit, my prayer is that we always return to the basics. Ask yourself: What was I made for? The answer, beloved, particularly for those of us in Christ, is to glorify God. And as Pastor John Piper once memorably said, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

Use technology or don’t use technology — the patterns are plain from the studies. But whatever you do, do it for His glory, seek satisfaction in Him, our ultimate good and greatest joy. In a world of constant pings and shallow connections, may we choose the slower, richer path that draws us back to the One who made us for Himself. There we find true rest, purpose, and the life we were truly created to live.