Gen Z may be the most connected generation in history, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t questioning the role digital plays in their everyday lives. Screen-time limits, curated feeds and quieter engagement with some platforms point to a growing desire for balance rather than constant connection.
That shift has prompted headlines about a coming “slow social era”. In practice, behaviour has not yet caught up with sentiment. Statista reports 54.8 million people nationally, around 79% of the UK population, were active social media users as of February 2025. Ofcom’s Online Nation 2025 report shows adults now spend an average of 4.5 hours online each day, up 10 minutes year on year.
The signal is not disappearance, but selectivity – and for food and drink brands, that nuance matters. Attention is still there, but it is being given more deliberately.
Why familiarity beats frequency
Digital detoxing places greater value on familiarity, emotional connection and relevance to real-world routines. For food and drink brands, this strengthens the role of memory, ritual and everyday presence in shaping preference.
When people engage more selectively, brands that feel human and culturally aware become easier to return to. Loyalty is built through consistency of tone, recognisable values and content that reflects how people actually eat, drink and socialise.
Purchase decisions are influenced less by technical product superiority and more by resonance. Brands that earn attention through meaning and entertainment build mental availability even when scrolling time tightens.
What earns attention when scrolling slows?
An effective social media presence starts with intention. More relevant posts that respect people’s attention tend to land harder than constant, generalised output. Content works best when it feels culturally fluent and rooted in lived experience.
A student revising overnight and a first-time parent juggling broken sleep might both drink coffee daily, but their realities are different. Brands that reflect their unique truths with humour and warmth tend to feel more recognisable than those relying on overly polished visuals.
Brands such as Bilt, Chipotle and Oreo earn selective attention by grounding content in everyday habits and familiar frustrations, posting with purpose rather than frequency.
Staying present in a more selective feed
Interest in digital detoxing has not yet translated into reduced usage, but it offers a useful prompt. If attitudes do shift into behaviour, attention will become harder to earn. Brands already investing in cultural relevance, emotional connection and content that mirrors real life will be better placed to adapt.
For marketers, the focus doesn’t need to be on retreating from digital spaces. It sits in understanding how people want to feel when they engage, and showing up in ways that add something to their day.
Yalin Kaya is a strategist at Brandwidth
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