These days, it is sadly not an uncommon experience to have a cashier or other service worker apologize for slow performance or simple errors with this statement: “I’m sorry, but my brain is just not working today.”

Along those lines, some of our subscribers recently—and astutely—suggested (see the July 28 News Trends & Stories, Part II) that nurturing analog skills is an important part of keeping the brain “working.”

The “cognitive architectures” shaped by analog versus digital inputs are different, writes Wharton visiting scholar Cornelia C. Walther, who observes that those born before the mid-1990s are “the last generation to spend [their] formative years in an analog world.” In contrast, subsequent generations are growing up “in an environment of infinite algorithmic accommodation.” About her analog generation, Walther says:

“We learned to think, to relate, to solve problems in an environment of productive friction—wrestling with paper-based dictionaries, getting physically lost before finding our way home, experiencing the uncomfortable cognitive pull that comes from sustained attention without the dopamine micro-hits of infinite scrolling.”

A decade ago, researchers who reviewed studies about the cognitive impacts of smartphone technology waffled about their findings, suggesting the data were “contradictory and inconclusive” while admitting to the relevance of such research for “the majority of the world’s population.” In 2026, a “broader cultural reckoning” seems to picking up steam and more firmly links “constant connectivity” to measurable cognitive costs. Even in the tech world, some openly describe the phone as “the enemy of thought.”

In practical terms, there are many things we can do to exercise our analog muscles. Our subscribers thoughtfully got us rolling with some ideas, to which we have added:

• Build memorization skills—whether phone numbers, poems, or Bible verses. The Serbian early childhood education foundation started by two-time Solari Hero of the Week and tennis star Novak Djokovic especially lauds the benefits of having children memorize poetry.
• Do mental math (that is, without a calculator or even pencil and paper) as much as possible. Mundane examples include calculating a tip or altering the proportions in a recipe. There is widespread agreement that mental math has spillover benefits that extend well beyond the calculation at hand.
• To enhance creative thinking, use paper and pen. Describing the virtues of “the humble composition notebook, sketchbook paper with just a bit of weight, and index cards for quick brainstorming,” one visual artist says, “The tactile sensation, the sound of marks made on the page, the complete absence of digital distractions—it’s an experience that digital tools can’t replicate.”
• Collect vocabulary words and then look them up in a hard-copy dictionary.
• Read (and buy) hard-copy books. (For further motivation, read Dr. Joseph Farrell’s comments on the war against books, including disappearing eBooks.)
• Write letters on stationary and “snail mail” them to the recipient. Correspond with a young pen pal and help them discover the excitement of a letter in hand.
• Learn (or re-learn) how to use paper maps and a compass rather than GPS.
• Listen to classical music.
• Spend plentiful time in nature and get morning light.

We invite our subscribers to add to these suggestions in the comments below!