Analog hobbies are booming as AI burnout hits Gen Z hardest — and the Windows PC could be the unexpected winner

Teenager boy wearing headphones sitting at desk, resting head on hand appearing tired while gaming on computer monitor with game controller and papers visible on table.

I grew up in an analog world. Smartphones were at least a decade away. Laptops were bricks of hardware with tiny, low-res screens and enormous hard drives. The first PC games I played shipped on floppy discs. I bought my first music album on cassette. I spent a lot of time outdoors, exploring the woods and building forts with friends.

You get the idea.