The Great Digital Escape
What does that mean for the brands trying to reach them?
You open Instagram. You close Instagram. You reopen Instagram out of habit. Five minutes later you are deep in a comment thread about something you did not care about ten minutes ago.
That loop is starting to wear thin.
As feeds get louder and the news cycle moves at breakneck speed, consumers are reassessing their relationship with the digital world. Platforms that once felt fun and connective are now associated with fatigue and overload. The vibe has shifted.
In a recent nationally representative study of 400 people, Ideally set out to understand how Australians are navigating this shift. What we found points to something more than a passing trend.
Among 18 to 34 year olds, the numbers are even starker: 32% have deleted social media apps, 22% have installed screen time blockers, and 9% have bought a dumb phone. Searches for the iPod Classic and Nano are up 25% and 20% year on year. Downloads of Brick, the app that blocks other apps, jumped around 600% in January.
Friction, it turns out, is becoming desirable.
What are people escaping from?
Financial stress tops the list at 33%, followed closely by relief from their own thoughts or anxiety at 31%. News and global events sit at 25%. The pressure is both economic and internal.
Where are people going instead?
The most common ways Australians disconnect: watching TV (52%), exercising (40%), spending time in nature (33%), and catching up with friends and family (31%).
41% of Australians report seeking more offline or analogue experiences in the past year. Among Gen Z, that figure rises to 57%. Reading, IRL experiences, nature. The analogue revival is real, and it is being led by the generation brands have spent the most time trying to reach digitally.
What this means for brands
Brands today need to think less about virality and more about the role they play in people’s lives, says Reid Litman, Director, Ogilvy Consulting.
"That starts with providing access. Brands can bring people closer to what they love, giving them the chance not only to watch but to shape the experience or culture alongside creators and communities.
It also means creating experiences. The most effective brands turn moments into memories by smoothing friction, amplifying joy and showing up where the energy already exists.
Finally, brands need to offer belonging. That involves building spaces where interests, fandom and passion can live beyond the screen, transforming everyday environments into places of identity, connection and shared obsession."
