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Welcome back to GenZtea's Newsletter, where I break down trends, industries, and tech with a Gen Z lens. I'm Natalie Neptune and I'm so happy you're here.

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But first, let's dive into this newsletter's theme... The Great Analog Comeback of 2025!

As we head into the new year, I've been obsessing over a pattern that's showing up everywhere—from VC investment trends to Gen Z spending habits to the apps we're actually using (versus the ones we're deleting). We're witnessing the biggest shift toward physical, in-person experiences since before smartphones existed.

Some key signals I've been tracking:

• Piper Sandler's Teen Survey Fall 2025 - showing economic pessimism driving more intentional spending choices and a hunger for authentic experiences

• The "Offline is the New Luxury" Movement - companies like Sofar Sounds, 222, and Kanso raising millions to get people off their phones and into real spaces

• Andrew Yeung's Analog Business Predictions - calling the swing toward physical businesses that prioritize human connection over digital optimization

As someone who's hosted 40+ tech events across NYC and built communities, I've seen firsthand how desperate people are for genuine connection. The data backs up what we're all feeling: digital fatigue is real, and the pendulum is swinging hard toward tangible, touchable experiences.

That's why I've pulled together this analysis of where the analog economy is headed in 2025—consider this your roadmap for understanding why bingo businesses are doing $10M annually while social media engagement continues to crater.

Let's break down:

• The Economic Drivers - why Gen Z's spending patterns are fueling this shift toward physical experiences

• The Business Opportunities - three categories that are about to explode (and how to get in early)

• The Community Angle - why the future belongs to brands that can create real-world magic

Now... let's dive into why 2025 is the year analog eats digital's lunch! ⬇️

Upcoming GenZtea IRL Events

Speaking of IRL connections—I'm launching GenZtea Hub, a brand new community for Gen Z event hosts coming January 2026! Before we officially launch, I want to know what type of IRL event host you are. Take this quiz to discover your hosting superpower and get early access updates.

Gen Z's Spending Power & The Community Opportunity: What the Fall 2025 Teen Survey Reveals

The latest Piper Sandler Teen Survey just dropped with some fascinating insights that any community builder should pay attention to. With nearly 11,000 teens surveyed and an average household income of $69,527, we're looking at a generation that's not just scrolling—they're spending, and more importantly, they're seeking connection in ways that create massive opportunities for paid communities.

Here are in-person clips from a Pion event breaking it down from another agencies perspective: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/178z5JzBOJanr2gU_gQIcG6x4VIpu3Ico 

The Numbers That Matter

Here's what caught my attention: teen self-reported spending hit $2,213 (down 6% year-over-year), but their core beauty wallet alone is $336. That's real money being spent by a generation that values authenticity, community, and exclusive access above almost everything else.

And where are they spending their time? TikTok dominates at 46% of social media usage, followed by Instagram at 31% and Snapchat at 14%. But here's the kicker—they're watching 30% Netflix and 27% YouTube for daily video consumption. This tells us something crucial: Gen Z isn't just consuming bite-sized content; they're also engaging with longer-form, community-driven experiences.

The Community Connection

What's particularly interesting is how brand loyalty shows up in this data. e.l.f. Beauty leads cosmetics at 36% (vs. Rare Beauty at 8%), and Nike absolutely dominates footwear at 46% (with Adidas trailing at 14%). But look deeper and you'll see something more powerful than just brand preference—you'll see community building in action.

Take e.l.f.'s strategy, for example. They've mastered TikTok-native marketing and built genuine communities around their products. Their success isn't just about affordable beauty; it's about creating spaces where Gen Z feels seen and heard. That's the exact playbook every brand should be following, but with a paid community twist.

The Missed Opportunity

Here's where it gets interesting for community builders: with Amazon leading shopping websites at 54%, followed by Nike at 5% and SHEIN at 5%, there's a massive gap between where teens are shopping and where they could be building relationships with brands.

Imagine if Nike leveraged their 46% footwear dominance to create "The Swoosh Society"—a $99/year membership for their biggest fans featuring:

• Early access to limited drops (addressing the hype culture Gen Z craves)

• Monthly virtual sneaker design sessions with Nike designers

• Exclusive colorways only available to members

• Local Nike community events in major cities

• Access to athletes and influencers in the Nike ecosystem

• Member-only Discord channels organized by interests (basketball, running, lifestyle)

With their current market position, they could easily attract 50,000+ members in year one. That's $5M in annual recurring revenue from community alone, not including increased product sales from deeper brand loyalty.

What This Means for Community Builders

Every data point in this survey represents a community waiting to be built. The teens spending $336 annually on beauty? That's your "Beauty Creators Collective" at $199/year. The 33% who are part-time employed? That's your "Gen Z Workforce" community at $149/year, helping them level up their career game.

The most successful communities over the next few years won't just be about networking—they'll be about identity, shared values, and exclusive access to the things this generation actually cares about. And with 62% of teens saying the economy is getting worse, they're going to be even more intentional about where they spend their money and time.

The brands that figure this out first will own the next decade of consumer loyalty. The rest will keep wondering why their Gen Z engagement feels flat while their competitors are building genuine communities that drive both revenue and impact.

The question isn't whether paid communities work for Gen Z—it's whether you're building the one they'll choose to invest in.

The $19.99 Solution to Gen Z's Loneliness Problem (And Why Smart Brands Should Pay Attention)

While we're all doom-scrolling about Gen Z's mental health crisis, some companies are quietly building businesses around the solution. Sofar Sounds has hosted 60+ singles events across 16 cities with 7,000 people showing up to find love offline. 222, an app that charges curation fees to pair strangers for dinners, raised $3.6 million and has "hundreds of thousands of members." Timeleft charges $19.99 monthly plus the cost of meals. Kanso sells tickets to phone-free gatherings.

This isn't just a trend—it's an entire economy built around what we've lost: genuine human connection.

Why "Offline is the New Luxury" Hits Different Now

The Pew Research data tells the real story: nearly half of teens say social media has a mostly negative effect on their generation, with only 11% calling it positive. We've reached peak digital exhaustion, and Gen Z is leading the rebellion against their own native platforms.

But here's what's fascinating—this isn't about abandoning technology entirely. It's about intentional disconnection as a premium experience. When Andrew Roth from Offline says "going offline for a week is now the biggest investment you can do," he's identifying something crucial: scarcity creates value, and genuine human interaction has become scarce.

The Business Model That's Actually Working

What these companies understand that most brands don't is that Gen Z will pay for curation and safety in social settings. They're not just selling events—they're selling the assurance that everyone else there is also committed to being present. When you charge $19.99 for a dinner with strangers, you're filtering for people who are serious about connection.

This is brilliant business design. Unlike free dating apps that make money by keeping you single and scrolling, these platforms profit when people have good experiences. Their success metrics align with actual human flourishing.

The Brand Opportunity Everyone's Missing

While these startups are building the infrastructure for IRL connection, most brands are still fighting for attention in increasingly noisy digital spaces. The smarter move? Partner with these offline-first companies or create your own versions.

Imagine if Lululemon hosted "Phone-Free Fitness Fridays" where members lock away their devices for group workouts and post-class coffee. Or if Glossier created "No-Filter Beauty Workshops" focused on self-care without the social media pressure. The beauty of these concepts is they're inherently Instagram-worthy while being Instagram-free—the perfect paradox for a generation that wants to document authenticity.

What Gen Z Actually Values

The success of these platforms reveals something important about our generation's relationship with money and time. We'll pay $19.99 monthly for curated dinners with strangers, but we won't pay for premium dating app features. We'll invest in experiences that feel genuine while becoming increasingly skeptical of digital promises.

This shift represents a fundamental change in how we define social currency. It's not about having the most followers anymore—it's about having the richest offline experiences. And for the first time in years, there's a clear path for brands to add genuine value instead of just capturing attention.

The Future of Community Building

These offline-first businesses are essentially paid communities with a twist—they're temporary. But what if they weren't? The logical evolution is subscription-based social clubs that combine the curation of 222, the phone-free philosophy of Kanso, and the community building potential of traditional membership organizations.

We're already seeing early signs of this with companies like Chief and Hampton charging thousands annually for curated professional networks. The next wave will be lifestyle-focused communities that help Gen Z build the "third places" we've lost to digital spaces.

The brands that understand this shift first will own the next decade of genuine customer loyalty. The rest will keep wondering why their engagement rates keep dropping while their competitors are building real relationships in real spaces.

Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is put your phone down. And apparently, we're willing to pay for the privilege.

Here's a section about the analog business swing using your style:

The $10M Bingo Business & Why Analog is About to Eat Digital's Lunch

I think we're about to see a massive swing back toward physical, analog businesses. Not the kind that VCs get excited about—most won't hit billion-dollar valuations. But they can still generate serious money while actually improving people's lives.

Why This Matters Now

Digital is everywhere, but in-person experiences have become genuinely scarce. The pendulum is swinging hard toward things you can touch, spaces that make you feel connected, and experiences that don't require staring at another screen. People are literally paying premium prices to put their phones in lockers for a few hours.

Take Board—the world's first face-to-face game console that just launched. It's part Mario Party, part mahjong night, "and all magic," according to investor Sarah Leary. The hardware blends multiplayer video games with board game intimacy, creating something that feels both nostalgic and futuristic. They raised a seed round with Adjacent, Lerer Hippeau, and First Round Capital because even VCs recognize that bringing people together around a table is more valuable than keeping them apart behind screens.

Three Categories Ripe for Disruption

1) Cohort-Based Communities for Hyper-Specific Groups Think former Big Tech PMs launching creator businesses, or C-suite executives wanting to angel invest. Structure it like a program: inspirational speakers, community dinners, workshops, plus a recurring virtual space for wins and lessons. Charge $2K-5K per cohort and watch the applications pour in.

2) New-Era Leisure Experiences Late 20s/30s crowds are opting out of traditional nightlife for lectures at bars, live music in saunas, salon-style conversations. There's a massive gap for spaces that make people feel connected and alive without alcohol as the centerpiece. The demand is there—we just need better supply.

3) Tactile Media & Slow Experiences People are sick of scrolling and craving things they can touch: beautiful magazines, elaborate board games, puzzles that take hours to complete. The success of companies like Jiggy (premium puzzles) and the resurgence of vinyl records proves this isn't just nostalgia—it's a fundamental shift in how we want to spend our time.

The AI Advantage

Here's the kicker: you can layer AI into these analog businesses to make them smoother and more profitable without losing the human magic. Think automated community matching, personalized event recommendations, or streamlined operations that let you focus on creating experiences instead of managing spreadsheets.

The future isn't choosing between digital and physical—it's using digital tools to create better physical experiences. And for the first time in years, that feels like a business model worth building.

Mini GenZtea Sections

Is having a boyfriend embarrassing now?

That's the question floating around the internet ever since Chanté Joseph asked it in Vogue, and honestly? The fact that it hit such a nerve tells us everything.

Chanté explores how younger women are rethinking what it means to be seen in love online. Being "boo'd up" used to be aspirational—your partner was a sign of success, part of your personal brand. Now? Overshare your relationship and people start to cringe.

We've shifted to the soft launch era: a hand in the corner of the frame, a turned back, maybe just a steering wheel in shot. As Chanté writes, we've moved from "Boyfriend Land" (where women were praised for finding and keeping a man) to a space where being visibly in love feels almost ✨culturally loser-ish.✨

But where is this really coming from?

It's deeper than just online perception. There's a tightrope happening: women want the comfort and validation of partnership, but don't want to look "boyfriend-obsessed." As writer Zoé Samudzi put it, we want "the prize and celebration of partnership, but understand the norminess of it."

Maybe that's the heart of it—not shame, but ambivalence. Love is still desirable, but performing it feels outdated. The script is shifting. Being partnered isn't a badge of womanhood anymore, and for many, singleness has become a flex, a form of freedom.

So what do you think—are we witnessing liberation from old scripts, or just swapping one performance for another? 👀

creators. freelancers. if there was ever a time to get your money up, it would be now.

it's q4 and the brands have money to spend. 👏🏾

marketers are scrambling to spend what's left of their budget to justify next year's allocation to their cmos. this is YOUR opportunity.

three moves to make right now:

1️⃣ come with solutions, not asks don't just hit up brands asking if they want to work—show up with a clear proposal and pricing. make it a menu they can choose from. remove the mental load and make it easy to say yes.

2️⃣ remix what's already working dig through your content vault. that viral post from july? the brand campaign that performed? the idea that got shelved? remix it. brands want proof of concept, not brand new concepts.

3️⃣ think bigger than one-offs pitch 3-6 month partnerships with monthly deliverables. consistent income > burnout cycles. plus you're setting up future you with work already locked in.

👉🏾 the economy might feel chaotic, but brand budgets are real. go forth and secure that bag.

Other Events + Resources I Found

What Does GenZtea Actually Do?

We get this question a lot! While we're known for our exclusive IRL events and newsletter, GenZtea LLC offers a full range of services to help brands authentically connect with the Gen Z startup community.

GenZtea LLC Services

Gen Z Consulting & Advisory - Strategic consulting and ongoing advisory roles on reaching, engaging, and building authentic relationships with Gen Z consumers, employees, and entrepreneurs. From product development insights to workplace culture recommendations and long-term strategic guidance.

LinkedIn Influencer Marketing - Leverage Natalie’s personal LinkedIn network and authentic Gen Z voice to amplify your brand message to founders, creators, and investors in the startup ecosystem.

Sponsored LinkedIn Content - Strategic paid posts on our personal LinkedIn account to reach our engaged professional network with your brand messaging and thought leadership content.

Speaking Engagements - Book Natalie Neptune for keynote presentations and panel discussions on the future of work, Gen Z in the workplace, startup ecosystems, and community building at your corporate events or conferences.

LinkedIn Workshops - Custom workshops for your team on LinkedIn strategy, personal branding, and professional networking specifically tailored for reaching and engaging Gen Z professionals.

Tech Event Strategy & Execution - Full-service event planning and execution for tech networking events, panel discussions, and community gatherings that authentically connect with the Gen Z demographic.

GenZtea Event Sponsorship Opportunities - Partner with us through financial sponsorship, venue partnerships, or product gifting (CPG & food) for our exclusive networking events.

Ready to work together? Reach out to [email protected] to discuss how GenZtea can help amplify your brand in the Gen Z startup community.