From picnics and gardening to handwritten letters and game nights, Generation Z is rediscovering the simple pleasures of a more intentional, analog life. The irony? Generation X has been quietly enjoying them all along.
Every generation likes to believe it’s discovered something new. And more often than not, the generations that came before them have a good laugh at the whole “what’s old is new again” scene that the youngsters are suddenly all excited about.
Just spend five minutes on TikTok and you’ll find young influencers proudly embracing “retro” trends, whether that’s baggy jeans, vinyl records, disposable cameras, or handwritten journals. For Generation Z, these habits feel refreshingly different in an increasingly digital world.
For Generation X, however, the reaction is usually somewhere between amusement and quiet satisfaction.
You mean… having picnics? Cooking your own meals? Going for a hike? Yeah, we never really stopped any of that.
Many of the lifestyle trends now enjoying a renaissance aren’t really “making a comeback” at all. They’re timeless activities that simply slipped out of the spotlight while smartphones, streaming services, and social media rose to dominance in our lives for the last decade or so. Now, younger people are discovering what their parents and grandparents always knew: sometimes the old ways really are the best ways.
PICNICS ARE COOL AGAIN
Who knew sitting on a blanket in a park would become not just enjoyable all over again, but actually fashionable?
Picnics enjoyed a huge revival during the Covid-19 pandemic when outdoor gatherings became one of the safest ways to socialize. Even after restrictions disappeared, the trend stuck around, helped along by rising restaurant prices and a growing appreciation for simple pleasures and the enjoyment of the company of friends.
For Gen X, this is hardly revolutionary. Summer weekends often meant sandwiches packed into a cooler, a Frisbee, and an afternoon under a shady tree. No reservations required.
Really, nothing has changed. Sometimes the best dining room is still the one that’s outdoors.
GARDENING IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL
During World War II, “Victory Gardens” helped families supplement their own food supplies. Decades later, home vegetable patches and flower beds remained common fixtures in suburban backyards. In more urban settings, shared community gardens have always been low-key popular, particularly with Gen Xers, who grew up taking care of themselves. Tending a garden, after all, was just a natural extension of “getting things done” by oneself.
Today’s young gardeners are motivated less by necessity and more by wellbeing.
After spending entire workdays indoors, tending a garden of herbs, vegetables, or houseplants offers fresh air, gentle exercise, and a welcome mental reset. Numerous studies have linked gardening with lower stress levels and improved mental health, making it as therapeutic as it is productive.
HANDWRITTEN NOTES STILL MEAN MORE
Text messages are fast. Emails are convenient. But really, neither feels quite as special as opening an envelope containing a handwritten letter.
In an era where most conversations disappear into endless messaging threads, writing a personal note requires intention, effort, and a bit of time. Someone chose the stationery, found a stamp, and took the time to say something worth keeping.
Many Gen Xers still have boxes filled with old birthday cards, postcards, and letters from friends. Few people are likely to treasure screenshots of WhatsApp conversations 30 years from now. Even taking notes or making a shopping list by hand delivers an innate satisfaction that an app on a tablet or smartphone will never quite replicate. What can we say? Some traditions really are worth preserving in ink.
DIY NEVER REALLY WENT AWAY
Knitting. Sewing. Pottery. Woodworking. Glass blowing. You know… do-it-yourself crafting. Once dismissed as hobbies for retirees, handmade crafts have found an enthusiastic new audience thanks in no small part to YouTube tutorials, Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok creators who make learning almost any skill remarkably accessible.
Beyond producing something unique, crafting offers a welcome escape from endless screen time while often saving money and delivering personal satisfaction along the way.
Long before influencers filmed “craft room tours,” Gen X was already building shelves, restoring furniture, and fixing things instead of replacing them. Taking something apart, figuring it out, repairing it, and reassembling it – this was all just part of growing up for Gen X.
REAL BOOKS ARE HAVING A MOMENT (AGAIN)
The rise of e-books once prompted predictions that printed books would become obsolete. Instead, physical books are thriving again, helped along significantly by the wildly popular #BookTok community, which has inspired millions of young readers to buy, collect, and proudly display their growing libraries.
For Gen X, however, bookshelves were always part of the furniture.
There is still something deeply satisfying about turning real pages, scribbling notes in the margins, and lending a favorite novel to a friend, even if the cover comes back a little worse for wear. We figure it’s just a matter of time before actual magazines and perhaps even newspapers find their way back to modern life, as well. Then, a new generation can discover the daily enjoyment of things like reading favourite comic strips and doing crosswords and word puzzles.
GAME NIGHT IS BACK ON THE TABLE
Board games never really disappeared; they simply had to compete with smartphones and gaming consoles. And while they may have faded into the background for a while, they seem to be increasingly reclaiming the spotlight.
Now, younger adults are rediscovering the joy of gathering around a table for an evening of laughter, friendly rivalry, and the occasional disagreement over Monopoly rules and what words are actually allowed in Scrabble. Jigsaw puzzles are seeing a quiet renaissance, too. Meanwhile, others are blending old and new by playing multiplayer games on mobile devices while sitting together in the same room.
The technology may have evolved, but the real attraction hasn’t changed. It’s still about friendly competition and spending time together.
DIGITAL CAMERAS ARE RETRO… SOMEHOW
Nothing makes Gen X feel older than hearing a compact digital camera described as “vintage.” After all, digital cameras had their heyday well after Gen Xers had moved into adulthood – think around 2000 to 2015. But their dominance was short-lived as smartphone cameras got better and better over the past 10 to 12 years. From point-and-shoots to advanced DSLRs, digital cameras shrunk from mass-market adoption to a niche format. Film cameras all but disappeared from common daily use.
Now though, younger photographers are increasingly seeking out early digital cameras, disposable cameras, and instant film for their distinctive imperfections. Grainy images, unpredictable lighting, and lower resolutions have become part of the aesthetic, offering an authentic alternative to today’s heavily filtered, algorithm-perfected smartphone photos.
It’s a reminder that sometimes flaws create character. We’re just waiting for the rebirth of the ubiquitous photo processing shops and in-store kiosks.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS NEVER LOST ITS APPEAL
Growing up before smartphones usually meant spending entire days outdoors with friends until somebody’s parent called everyone home for dinner or the streetlamps came on.
Today’s young adults are rediscovering hiking, camping, walking trails, and afternoons spent simply disconnecting from technology. Greater awareness of climate change has also encouraged many to appreciate the natural world rather than merely viewing it through a screen.
Fresh air and green spaces, it turns out, never really went out of style.
COOKING FROM SCRATCH IS COOL AGAIN
Cooking at home has become one of social media’s biggest success stories, though it perhaps hasn’t made as big a splash in Malaysia, where outside food is plentiful, easy, cheap, and – at least in big cities – available at all hours.
In many places, though, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are filled with creators baking sourdough, making fresh pasta, fermenting vegetables, and recreating family recipes handed down through generations. Many younger people are embracing from-scratch cooking not only because it’s healthier, but because it’s often cheaper and surprisingly enjoyable. For many home cooks, the mere act of being in the kitchen, creating, cooking, and making impressive meals is as therapeutic as it is rewarding.
Gen X watches these beautifully edited cooking videos with a knowing smile. For this generation, it was simply called “making dinner.”
Perhaps that’s the biggest takeaway from all of this. Generation Z deserves credit for embracing slower, more mindful ways of living. But while these habits may feel refreshingly new to younger adults, they represent something older generations quietly understood all along.
Not everything has to be faster. Not everything needs an app. And some of life’s greatest pleasures never really went out of fashion; they just waited patiently for the rest of us to notice them again.
Sources: YourTango, Royal Horticultural Society, American Psychological Association, Pew Research Center, various BookTok trend reporting.
