Offline Is Always Better
The Mindset Shift You Need for 2026
Back in 2023, I wrote a piece titled: I’m Online. A LOT.
It was a reflection on how much time I was still spending in the interwebs. Reddit, YouTube, and news outlets were my vices of choice. Now, as I begin planning for 2026, I find myself reflecting on the new mindset I embraced in 2025, one that has already reshaped this year: “Offline is Always Better.”
I instinctively knew this. I’ve been trying to escape the internet ever since I realized how harmful it is to my mental health1, wallet2, and personal relationships3. The allure of the web lies in the promise that there is always something new, more exciting, revolutionary. It’s like a gag straight out of Barney Stinson’s mantra: “New is Always Better.”4 And tech companies sell it well—new phones, cars, experiences, and services that are supposed to make life easier, faster, and more productive.
Yet, looking back at the path forged by tech in recent years, what we see is division5, algorithmic exploitation, and the rise of artificial intelligence as a means to replace us6.
That’s why I’ve chosen this mindset. It’s not a shiny new dumbphone7 that will save me or a clever software trick that will reduce my screentime. It’s my deliberate choice to live offline and prioritize the real world over the virtual one.
Yes, it means going to the library to check out a book instead of opening Libby. It means calling the restaurant to place an order instead of tapping an app. It means getting up from my desk to play chess with friends at the local club. It will be uncomfortable. It will be difficult. My life may be 3% more inconvenient. But at the end of my years, I will be able to say I saw the world with my own eyes and not through the lens of someone else’s Instagram post. And that is priceless.
So my hope for 2026 is simple: that you realize while online has value, offline is always better.
It has been my privilege and pleasure to bring you something to read this year. I hope you stick around in 2026 and invite a few friends to the offline revolution. Have a great holiday season and see you in the new year :)
Fresh reporting on pricing algorithms: https://www.consumerreports.org/money/questionable-business-practices/instacart-ai-pricing-experiment-inflating-grocery-bills-a1142182490/. I expect this to become a larger and larger problem over time.
Ok. This video was crazy. Offline is definitely needed.
Here is the gag:
We know they can do better: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomokoyokoi/2023/04/09/tech-companies-can-do-more-to-bridge-the-digital-divide/
While dumbphones help, they are tools at the end of the day. I love my dumbphone, but I know that adopting offline makes a larger difference than switching to a basic device.
Oh, boy, the AI that mimics passed loved ones is just sick and wrong on so many levels. Watching that almost made me physically nauseous.
Simple, but this feels like a very powerful heuristic/mantra. Thank you for sharing!