bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Agence France-Presse

Lois Shafier dropped her mobile phone into a deposit box, happy in the knowledge that for the next two hours she would be completely offline. No pings, beeps or distractions.
“I’m bad at switching off. I have a proper addiction to my phone,” she said as she headed into an event organised by The Offline Club in London.
Tickets for the two-hour “digital detox” evening were snatched up when they went on sale, with more than 150 young adults aged mostly between 20 and 35 eager to ditch their screens for an IRL (in real life) evening.
They each paid £9.50 (US$12) for the chance to get away from phones and make in-person human connections.
“We are the technology generation, but we’re tired of it,” said Bianca Bolum. “We want to reconnect with the real world.”
The 25-year-old jeweller had come on her own and was hoping to meet new people.

According to the UK’s telecoms regulator Ofcom, Britons aged between 25 and 34 spend an average of four hours and three minutes a day online on their smartphones.
But Liliann Delacruz, 22, said she spent about 10 hours a day texting with her family and friends, surfing the net and checking her socials.
The evening was a chance to “get outside my bubble”, she said.
Scattered around the room in a local London church were tables stacked with board games, as an excited hum echoed around the walls.
Engineer Harry Stead, 25, said he found leaving his phone at the door “freeing”.
“I don’t realise the addiction and then too often I feel the urge to look at my phone and scroll,” he said, adding he suffered from “FOMO” – the fear of missing out.

Shafier, 35, had come with a friend and they sat chatting together as they sewed.
If she had been at home, her phone would have been next to her. “I hate that I use my phone so much. I’m angry at myself,” she said.
As soon as the evening was over, though, she switched her phone back on, scanning her screen.
Ironically, the participants found out about the club via social media, often Instagram posts.
Organiser Ben Hounsell, 23, said he was not against technology or calling for everyone to get rid of their phones.
“A lot of people are realising that just getting away from your phone for a few hours can be super beneficial in a number of ways,” he said.
Since the club launched at the end of October, more than 2,000 people have taken part.
“It’s really just growing super rapidly in London. Every event seems to sell out instantly,” Hounsell said.

The club has also opened branches in Paris, Barcelona and Dubai. The first Offline Club was launched in Amsterdam by Ilya Kneppelhout and two friends.
“The loneliness epidemic and the mental health epidemics are on the rise, so people really seek connection, genuine connection, with others away from screens,” Kneppelhout said.
“A lot of us have social media and phone addictions because we’re using it even though we don’t want to … and we’re using it even though we know it doesn’t make us feel better.”
Kneppelhout was inspired by book clubs such as Reading Rhythms in New York and the Silent Book Club where people gather to read together.

Those seeking a longer detox can even join retreats in several countries lasting days.
Some influencers, usually ever present on social media, are also leading the way. French woman Léna Mahfouf announced to her millions of followers in November that she was taking a month-long break.
Venetia La Manna, an online activist for sustainable fashion, disconnects from her phone every weekend, letting her followers know with the hashtag #offline48.
“I’m able to be more present with my loved ones, I sleep better, I have more time to be creative, to be in nature and to be with my community,” she said.
For most people, “the real issue isn’t necessarily harm to mental health, it’s missed opportunities”, said Anna Cox, a professor of human-computer interaction at University College London. “What didn’t you do because you were scrolling?”
For example, Cox asked, did you miss a conversation with your partner, stay up later than planned or put off doing the washing up?

But she added there are excellent strategies to help people reduce the time they spend on their devices, such as turning off notifications or switching the phone’s interface to black and white.
“We need to educate ourselves – and particularly young people – on how to take control of our devices,” she said.
Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.


Young people’s risky use of media up to 50 times worse than their use of cannabis, alcohol

Men’s obesity risk triples if they’re married, new research finds, no link found for women

Public sauna reinvented in UK with DJs, poetry. ‘The best’ for mental health, one fan says

How to prevent dementia, and 10 things to ask a doctor to help safeguard your brain health

Wellness

Millennials and Gen Z flock to phone-free events to take a break from their addiction

People attend a digital detox event run by The Offline Club at the Sherriff Centre in London on February 12, 2025. Photo: AFP

People hand in their mobile phones before attending the event. Photo: AFP

People read, write and draw in silence while listening to pianist Maria Garzon during the “Connect with yourself” segment of the event. Photo: AFP

More than 150 young adults attended the event. Photo: AFP

The Offline Club co-founder Ilya Kneppelhout. Photo: AFP

How to love better and have stronger relationships? Self-help expert shares tips

Bestselling author, self-help guru and Instagram influencer Diego Perez (left) has been with his wife, Sara, for 17 years, but the early years were “chaotic” because he had no self-awareness, he says. Photo: Diego Perez

A post on Perez’s Instagram account. Photo: Instagram/yung_pueblo

Perez meditates with his wife Sara. He began his meditation practice 12 years ago. Photo: Diego Perez

The cover of Perez’s coming book. Photo: Amazon

Perez shares his thoughts on love on his Instagram account. Photo: Instagram/yung_pueblo

Tips for a digital detox when too much online information gives you ‘popcorn brain’

Online English teacher Chhavii Mehtaa cut back her workload after she developed “popcorn brain” symptoms. Photo: Chhavii Mehtaa

Always online and finding it hard to focus on a single thought or task? You may have popcorn brain. Photo: Shutterstock

Online platforms and social media sites can overstimulate our brain’s reward system, says Dr Sonia Lal Gupta. Photo: Dr Sonia Lal Gupta

Online English teacher Chhavi Mehtaa cut back her workload after she developed symptoms of “popcorn brain”. Photo: Chhavii Mehtaa

Roli Gaur’s extended use of her phone and computer affected her family ties; she sought help after realising she had stopped interacting with her children. Photo: Roli Gaur

The cover of Gloria Mark’s book. Photo: Amazon

How to end your addiction to your smartphone using Hong Kong expert’s 5 tips

Red lights shine on the ground  in Hong Kong to warn smartphone-using pedestrians about traffic signals. Smartphone addiction causes multiple problems, and we should all reduce our use of the gadgets, a psychologist says. Photo: Hong Kong Transport Department

Hong Kong parents are struggling to control their children’s overuse of gadgets. Photo: Shutterstock

Smartphone use may cause problems with emotional regulation and cognitive function, impulsivity, and low self-esteem in young adults and teens, according to Hong Kong-based psychologist Quratulain Zaidi. Photo: Bloomberg

People should be more aware of the dangers of smartphone overuse, says Quratulain Zaidi, Hong Kong-based psychologist. Photo: Quratulain Zaidi

Many young adults use their smartphones in bed, affecting the quality of their sleep. Photo: Shutterstock

Avoid using your smartphone in the toilet if you want to get control over your digital dependence. Photo: Shutterstock

Anne Hathaway’s weight loss journey: anti-inflammatory diet, intense exercise key to actress’ transformation for Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises

Anne Hathaway at a Valentino fashion show in Rome, Italy, in 2022. The actresshas talked about how she lost weight for her various movie roles. Photo: Getty Images

Hathaway as Catwoman in a still from The Dark Knight Rises. Photo: Warner Bros

To control her blood sugar, Hathaway ate avocados, almonds, sesame seeds, plain chocolate, bright red and orange vegetables high in antioxidants like yams, dark leafy greens, plus ginger and turmeric. Photo: Shutterstock

Hathaway on the set of The Devil Wears Prada. Photo: Getty Images 

Hathaway in a still from Les Misérables. Photo: Universal Pictures

Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

Gadgets

Family & Relationships

Over 2,000 people have attended The Offline Club’s London events in just a few months, mostly adults aged 20 to 35 eager to digitally detox


Over 2,000 people have attended The Offline Club’s London events in just a few months, mostly adults aged 20 to 35 eager to digitally detox.
