In a cozy café in Amsterdam, with plush sofas and warm lighting, a group of people sit talking, laughing and playing board games. But something noticeable is missing. Not a single phone is visible. It's one of a regular series of community events hosted by the growing Offline Club, where members pay about $8.00 to leave their phones in a lock box at the door and spend the next few hours unplugged. Demand is increasing rapidly. What started as a local initiative is quickly turning into a global movement, with regular events held in cafes, churches and town halls selling out quickly in the UK, Denmark and the Netherlands.
2025 marks a turning point when people will strive to spend less time on screens and reclaim meaningful connections in person.
yondrFounded in the US, it partnered with comedy clubs, arenas, clubs and schools to host phone-free events. Jack White, Bob Dylan, Garth Brooks, John Mayer, Madonna and Adele have all banned cell phones at their concerts to stop looking at the sea of glowing smartphones and help audiences connect by disconnecting.
Meetup, a global platform that enables more than 60 million people to connect using the Internet Close Due to the intersection of the Internet and the real world, registrations increased by 19 percent in 2023. The latest Meetup measurement report revealed that the number one reason people use the platform is to find personally meaningful connections, a 50 percent increase from previous years. , “Friends” is the most popular search term for events, and “book club” is back in the top 10.
We are moving towards things that connect us back to the social fabric of local life. According to new research in the UK National Lottery Community FundHalf of UK adults intend to take part in local volunteering activities, both formally and informally, in 2024. More than 70 percent say it is important for them to feel part of their local community.
increasing demand for real world conversation It is emerging from a confluence of societal challenges, namely growing awareness of the adverse effects of spending too much time on screens and the loneliness epidemic. Recent research from Gallup revealed that 80 percent of youth under the age of 18 feel lonely, while 22 percent say they have no real friends. Zero. Twelve percent of adults in 2021 admitted they had no close friends, compared to only 3 percent 30 years ago. There is a collective cry of loneliness in these statistics. People don't just want followers anymore; They want true friendship.
But 2025 could be the turning point in the recession of this deep friendship. This is the year when increasing numbers of people swap screen time for real-world interactions.