Could digital fatigue and the analog movement save the stickshift?

SALT LAKE CITY — Thursday was National Stick Shift Day and like National Tattoo Day and National Yellow Pig Day, it was observed by a radio station or two, with no protests, rallies or proclamations. It is, however, an opportunity to examine the state of the shifter and what could prevent its decline.

The day of recognition for standard transmissions was started by Alan Macey, who runs the Manual Gearbox Preservation Society. The organization's website claims: "We are the guardians of a dying art. The purveyors of a craft born of necessity, but beloved for its spirit. We travel with purpose regardless of our destination." Every year, fewer automakers offer the option of craft, spirit and purpose: For 2026, Motor Trend found just 24 models with a shift-it-yourself choice. They're only offered on fun cars and the Toyota Tacoma, but only with the pickup's 2.4-liter turbo-four with Double Cab, 4WD, and 5-foot bed. On the Mazda 3, only with the 2.5-liter, not with the turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive.

With limited choices and combinations, and manuals only on higher trim levels (not on cheaper models as they used to be), the Washington Post reported that 1% of drivers are choosing three pedals. Volkswagen dropped the manual option on the Jetta GLI this year, bringing their manual offerings to zero. The situation is bleak for those who want control.

But there is hope: Among several generations — especially young adults — the analog movement is picking up steam.

Megan Lamb of Planoly calls 2026 the year of analog.

"What we're seeing is a cultural response to digital burnout and the loss of intentionality," she said. "The new analog trend is seeing creators approaching content creation through a more humanistic approach."

Lamb said that Gen Z and twenty-somethings are sick of social media's AI junk and algorithms and are journaling by hand, mailing letters and using simpler phones.

The New York Times' Ben Keough wrote, "A growing wave of digital fatigue is driving photographers back to film, and camera makers are sensing an opportunity. That's why, for the first time in several decades, we're seeing new film cameras hit store shelves every year." Pentax responded to film demand with the 17, a camera that splits its film into half-frames like a smartphone.

Kodak's 2025 Advanced Materials & Chemicals (the film division) revenues were $316 million, up 17% from $271 million in full-year 2024.

Music, which went from physical media like CDs to mostly streaming, is getting fans who want to hold and look at their music. Forbes reports that vinyl sales grew for the 19th consecutive year in 2025, hitting $1.04 billion in U.S. sales.

And a final trend to watch is the growth of Royal Enfield motorcycles. The old British brand, now built in India, is keeping engines small and designs retro, with modern tech underneath. The average age of their buyers is 27. Harley-Davidson riders are in their mid- to late-40s.

So, could the trend toward hand-written journals, film, vinyl records, and classic motorcycles save the manual transmission?

You could call Nathanael Jeffries a hipster. He owns some vinyl, stays up on trends and plays guitar in a shoegaze band.

"I've had friends who drive manual that make this case that they get cool points if you drive manuals," he said. "I think something about the utility, like the simplicity of just having a device that you're able to engage with.

"The kind of people that I would talk to who are driving manuals aren't the same kind of people who are looking for vinyl or for film cameras or things like that. But in terms of the principle, I think it's comparable," Jeffries added.

He gave his wife, Aubrey Holdaway, a reporter for the Herald Journal in Logan, a film camera for her birthday. She said she uses it for most of her photography.

"It feels more tactile, where I have to pull the lever to advance the film. I think it's because I generally like doing things with my hands." She said she also likes that she has to be more intentional with a roll of film than with a giant SD card.

Twenty-something Holdaway said there could be a correlation between the analog movement and stickshifts. She said, "I think that people who are my age just want to feel like they have ownership and that they can feel connected to the things that they have."

"With a lot of emerging technologies, people feel like they're not an actor in technology and more, just like technology is acting on them, and I think that that's something that a lot of people don't want to experience," Holdaway continued. "They want to feel like they're using technology, not that technology is using them."

Horses and candles were once used by people of all incomes, and now both are by those who can afford them as hobbies or for special occasions. With automatic transmission selectors on 99% of center consoles, a standard manual transmission could become as special as a candlelit dinner. With hipsters.

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