• by Brad Godwin , December 8, 2025

Technology was supposed to make life easier—and in many ways, it has. But what about the repercussions from the infusion of technology into every aspect of our daily lives?

While our lives have gotten “easier,” we’ve started to lose sight of authenticity and vulnerability, presence and connection. It’s getting harder and harder to be fully present when we’re rarely without a smartphone in hand, and so many moments are photographed instead of truly lived.

As the rise of technology and AI continues, Gen Z and Gen Alpha are craving human experiences. The question now is: How do we bring humanity back into technology and marketing?

Though social media promises connection, it often delivers isolation, sending users into a spiral of screentime and vanity metrics. A recent study suggests the negative impacts of online activities like doom-scrolling, with 61% of Gen Z respondents saying they are lonelier today than they were 10 years ago. Even though theoretically, we have 24/7 access to other people, this doesn’t always feel the way it should, and it’s easy to get lost in comparison.

Today, younger generations are craving the analog in an attempt to escape that spiral. The recent resurgence of disposable cameras, vinyl records, and even flip phones is all evidence of the desire for something tangible.

But how does all this relate to brands? Well, we marketers and brands contributed to this rapid growth and emphasis on the digital; maybe we can be the ones to help recalibrate it.

There’s an opportunity emerging in 2026 to reshape the way consumers experience brands, and to make that experience even more human, and build real, authentic relationships with shoppers. Because if younger shoppers are craving what’s real and physical, they’re going to want the brands they buy from to reflect those qualities as well.

The goal isn’t to abandon technology, but to use it with vision, intention, and means. That means defining a purpose beyond just clicks, creating with empathy rather than algorithms, and building real experiences that connect people offline and online.

To start, we can focus on bringing back a renewed emphasis on brand stories and anchoring those brand stories in true purpose. What would it look like to approach our marketing with a perspective that centered questions like who are we creating this for, and what do we want it to do? There’s a chance to move away from simply creating content to fill up a feed or please an algorithm, and instead create content that speaks to the true pain points and desires of our audience.

Honest storytelling is resonating with Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences. Fifty nine percent of Gen Z-ers are more likely to support brands that show vulnerability over perfection.The more we can demonstrate that our brands truly understand and empathize with our audience’s pain points, the more successful—and more human—we’ll be.

Additionally, since much of the world exists in a digital space, we’re seeing a re-emergence of curated in-person experiences and physical events. There’s been a noticeable shift away from mass-scale experiences and instead towards experiences that aren’t just curated for Instagram and TikTok, but are built from a desire to actually create something authentic. Brands are seeing success when they bring people face-to-face in real life instead of only on a screen.

I’m not proposing the complete abandonment of technology. I’m simply calling for brands and marketers to remember that behind each click, like, and share is a real person looking to connect with other real people. The more we can remember that, the more successful we’ll be at reaching younger audiences and bringing true authenticity to our marketing.