Should we practice being more 'offline' as a community?
Communities in Amsterdam are becoming more conscious about taking time to be offline...
We are living through a time that is not only riddled with viral infections, disease, and warfare, but with a serious mental health pandemic.
People are not okay. The more and more we get sucked into the digital facade of what 'life' is supposedly like, we become focused on a side of life that is potentially dangerous.
This is why so many people are trying to practice self-awareness when it comes to their online behaviour. We do it for our kids, monitor their screen time, and make sure they get enough fresh air and playtime, so why not do it more aggressively for ourselves?
Read more: Take a digital detox this Family Day
It seems we need to take a page out of Amsterdam's book.
People in Amsterdam are making a concerted effort to go 'offline'. There is an Offline Club that hosts detox hangouts around the city. One of the largest ones happened at a 400-year-old church in Amsterdam that saw 250 people unplug from their devices and reconnect.
Check out the video below, courtesy of Instagram.
Over and above this large-scale offline activity, several pop-up cafes have been hosting people who are eager to go 'back in time'.
Instead of visiting coffee shops and being consumed by their digital devices, they are more invested in reading and connecting with other people.
Check out the video below, courtesy of Instagram.
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Image Courtesy of Instagram