May 3, 2026
If you search the tag 'analog living' on TikTok (1), over 266K posts appear. From snapping pictures with disposable cameras to curling up with a cup of tea and a new cross-stitching project, Gen Z is prioritizing a more analog lifestyle in an attempt to resist hours spent scrolling through social media.
But it's not just their hobbies that are getting the analog treatment, their side hustles are, too. Kiki Klassen, founder of the Lucky Duck Mail Club (2), is just one person making a profit from old-school means of connection.
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The Lucky Duck Mail Club is a monthly snail mail subscription run by Klassen. Each month, members receive a letter, an original art print and a quote for the price of approximately $8. The mission statement of the Lucky Duck Mail Club invites members to "find joy in the tangible" (3).
The mail club has 11.9K TikTok followers (4), and Klassen told CNBC (5) she "brings in a monthly average of roughly $4,385 in U.S. dollars in revenue" from this side hustle.
With almost 900 hand-sealed letters (6) in hand, Klassen takes herself to the post office every month and gets to enjoy the rewards of a side-gig and the unique connection that comes along with sending snail mail instead of posting a newsletter into the ether.
Gen Z's hobby habits
Klassen isn't the only young person pulling a paycheck from their own crafty club.
Trinity Shiroma has 43K followers on Instagram (7) and 27.3K on TikTok (8) and runs The Architecture Mail Club (9), where she mails her subscribers a 4x6 postcard of a building, a curated letter about the history of the building and a small craft or activity every month (10). A monthly membership costs around $8.88. CNBC (11) reports that she made "nearly $18,300 in profit for her May issue."
The popularity of these subscription-based mail clubs may seem unlikely, but it shouldn't come as a surprise. According to a Fortune Business Insights Report (12), the global art & craft materials market size was valued at 23.56 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to 24.68 billion in 2026.
A survey by Talker Research (13) on behalf of Thrift Books found that 63% of Gen Z respondents are intentionally trying to disconnect digitally and lower their screen-time. The survey also found that Gen Zers and millennials are more likely to have allotted screen-free time in their day than Gen X and baby boomers.
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Is this the anti-AI revolution?
Though these snail mail clubs, which are inspired by re-connecting with the physical world and analog connection, use the internet to make their initial connection to subscribers, the majority of the experience takes place through the monthly mailings.
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While it is hard to say whether this trend is an indicator of an anti-AI revolution, it certainly leans away from relying on it, and brings people back to human-made connections and art.
A study released in early 2026 from Harvard and Gallup (14) found that 65% of young adults think that "AI discourages engaging with ideas and information in a deep or critical way" and "promotes instant gratification, not real understanding." Along the same lines, 79% of respondents expressed concerns that AI makes people lazier.
In Klassen's case, setting out for the post office with a box full of hand-packaged letters doesn't scream "lazy." Nor does the uptick in analog hobbies and lifestyle choices.
The Talker Research (15) survey reported that 84% of Americans said they've incorporated analog lifestyle choices in their day-to-day life in an attempt to live a slower, more intentional lifestyle, since 70% of the time they spend online leads to feelings of disconnection and loneliness. For some, it seems, combatting these feelings starts with being a member of a snail mail club, enjoying some extra income, and appreciating the joy of the stamp.
Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
TikTok (1),(4),(8); Lucky Duck Mail Club (2),(3); CNBC (5),(6),(11); Instagram (7); Arts by Trinity (9),(10); Fortune Business Insights (12); Talker Research (13),(15); Harvard Business School Publishing (14)
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Em Norton is a Content Specialist at moneywise.com. They have been with the company since 2022.
