By age 23, Emma MacTaggart was already noticing how rare her free time was — and how it was seldom screen-free.

Droves of young people are turning to tactile, analog hobbies and activities, such as needlework and mahjong, as a means of escaping technology and reconnecting with creativity and exploration.

MacTaggart is among many young people embracing analog hobbies to escape technology and reconnect with creativity ...