Ah, those times, when things needed to be done either perfectly or not at all… The reminiscence might bring a smile to a perfectionist’s face, but that’s not the case anymore. With the rapid rise of technology, and especially AI in different shapes and forms, there’s a deliberate emphasis on hand-made objects and even imperfection, even in video footage, social media posts, etc. Let’s unpack this one situation at a time, and see where we end up. 

Psychological longing towards human imperfection

As I said, the weird longing towards imperfection is like a rider of the apocalypse with a goofy horse. It doesn’t compute. After spending more than a decade collectively trying to make everything cleaner, sharper, smoother and more professional, people suddenly seem weirdly attracted to things that look unfinished. Or even slightly bad. Return of things that would once have been dismissed as amateur.

  • handwritten newsletters
  • film cameras
  • messy home videos
  • bad sketches
  • unedited voices
  • awkward pauses left inside podcasts
  • visible brush strokes
  • photos with blur, grain and bad lighting

Five years ago, most creators were trying to eliminate these things. Now it’s a schtick to keep them in. Probably it was in us all along, AI just pushed us over the edge. 

Also, it doesn’t really help that people developed what can only be described as ‘authenticity fatigue’ after all that nauseatingly polished perfection optimization.  Photos color-corrected. Podcast voices sound media-trained. Videos are cut every 1.7 seconds like the editor is being chased by wolves. 

Take advice from an old woman, videographers, use your video editor wisely! Take Clideo, for instance. You can get so much done, generate subtitles in the style of your choice, not to mention play with the color palette, angles, and everything else you can think of. All in your browser, without even downloading. But you choose to make it polished like a ’00s music video? Come on. 

At some point, the human brain starts craving sharper edges! Some grain under the teeth, you know? I know mine does. I want texture! I want small imperfections, so I can actually be sure I’m observing something human. There is also something psychologically comforting about imperfection. Perfect content has a distance about it. This partly explains why analog hobbies exploded again. Vinyl records. Pottery classes. Disposable cameras. Sewing. Tiny craft fairs where somebody sells candles that look mildly flammable. None of these things competes with digital perfection technically. That is no longer the point.

The point is proof of existence, and I think this deserves a separate section. 

Analog vs digital. Statistics for the rescue

As I said, there is statistical data to back up the analog vs. digital battle that’s been going on for a while and that got second wind with AI rocketing. So let’s go over a few numbers to do the ‘i’s and cross the ‘t’s. 

  • Analog hobbies are on the rise. Michaels’ 2026 Creativity Trend Report says searches for analog hobbies (knitting, crocheting, embroidery, journaling, painting) rose 136% in six months, while yarn accessory sales grew 40% year over year.
    That’s not a small number. Additionally, hobbies that engage your hands and not the full brain, hobbies that involve counting stitches, and doing monotonous hand gestures, invite relaxation and give us a secluded calm territory from all outside anxiety, news, doomscrolling, etc.
  • Crafting is not just grandma nostalgia, either. The Mintel survey (cited by the Wall Street Journal) of 2,000 US adults found 71% participated in a craft project in 2024; among Gen Z, 86% identified as crafters, and 30% had attended an in-person arts-and-crafts class. Way to go, Gen Z! Fight back for your mental health!
  • Creative social events are growing. Eventbrite reported DIY/crafting events like pottery and wreath-making were up 55%, suggesting people are using ‘amateur making’ as a social format, not just private therapy.
  • People are spending more real time on hobbies. CivicScience found that since 2023, the share of people spending 6-10 hours a week on hobbies rose by 8 percentage points, with Gen Z most likely to spend that much time. Michaels’ 2026 report also found ‘craft nights’ were up 103%, sewing/needlepoint searches up 251%, and DIY home decor embracing imperfection is up 79%.
  • AI feeding the appetite for human imperfection? That remains to be seen, but a 2025 University of Melbourne/KPMG global study surveyed 48,340 people in 47 countries and found AI trust remains a major issue; KPMG’s summary says four in five people are concerned about AI risks, and 64% worry elections may be manipulated by AI bots or AI-generated content.
  • People increasingly read AI output as fake/soulless. Ipsos says Americans’ associations with AI-generated content have shifted from futuristic/innovative/creative in 2023 toward fake, soulless, and ‘not real art.’
  • Even music shows the authenticity problem. A Deezer/Ipsos survey of 9,000 people across eight countries found 97% could not distinguish fully AI-generated music from human-made music, but 73% wanted AI-generated tracks disclosed, and 40% said they would avoid AI-created songs altogether.
  • Creator/amateur media is economically massive now. WPP Media research reported by The Guardian projected that creator-generated content ad revenue would grow 20% in 2025 and more than double to $376.6 billion by 2030.
  • Physical/analog formats are also back. RIAA reported US vinyl revenue passed $1 billion in 2025, with vinyl in its 19th consecutive year of growth. That supports the broader “imperfect/tactile/owned” media comeback.

The information is sufficient to indicate that people are finding it difficult to adapt to the new kid on the playground, and that they would rather play with humans. What can I say, imperfections soothe our souls and we shall continue pushing humanity for as long as we can help it. 

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