F or some of us, being without our smartphones for a few hours prompts panic: think of all the messages we would miss. For others, however, going off-

‘I came to make new friends’: the hangout event where phones are locked away

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2024-11-16 22:00:04

F or some of us, being without our smartphones for a few hours prompts panic: think of all the messages we would miss. For others, however, going off-grid sounds like bliss. Now, those looking to escape the doomscrolling can go cold turkey – for a few hours, at least.

The Offline Club, which has made a name for itself by hosting phone-free hangouts in the Netherlands, has brought its concept to London. On Wednesday, the Guardian visited one of the company’s no-phone zones, hosted in a church in West Hampstead.

Attenders were greeted with a grand, Instagrammable display of dangling fairy lights and statues of saints backlit by neon signs. Those hoping to capture the scene on their phone cameras had to be quick, however, as devices were locked away shortly after arrival.

Some of those who came wanted to unwind alone and meditate or read without peeking at their phones. For others, the event meant something deeper: a chance to make meaningful connections in a world where opportunities to do so are increasingly fleeting.