scrolling, streaming, swiping for so many of us, our days are spent moving from one screen

to the next, but lately there's been a noticeable shift in the other direction. Crochet kits are

selling out, knitting circles are filling up, embroidery and quilting hobbies once stereotyped as old-bashen are booming,

especially among younger generations.

So what's behind the rise of these so-called analog hobbies?

Is this just nostalgia or our brains and bodies pushing back against digital overload?

Hello and welcome to USA Today's The Excerpt.

I'm Dana Taylor.

Today is Wednesday, March 4th, 2026.

Today we're taking a deeper look at what science says about creative hobbies

and whether picking up yarn, thread, or paint might actually be good for our health. Joining me now is

Daisy Fancourt, professor of psychobiology and epidemiology at University College London,

and author of the recently released Art Cure, The Science of How the Arts Save Lives. Daisy, it's so

good to have you here. Wonderful to be with you. We're seeing a surge

in craft hobbies like knitting, crocheting, painting, and woodworking. From your perspective,

what's driving this spike right now? Is there something about this historical moment that makes

us more receptive to hands-on creativity?

We're actually seeing this pattern as particularly being driven by younger adults, and I think that tells us a lot.

We know that younger adults are actually a group that is starting to struggle with the volume of screen time and phones in their lives.

But these hobbies use hands in the same way. They've got a very similar focus in being short-term things you can do in just a few minutes.

And I think part of it is this move away from our digital lives to more analogue activities.

But it's also a response to some of the mental health and well-being feelings that we're seeing in society.

...