It’s no secret that many of us live overscreened, overstimulated, overworked lives in which “unplugging” sounds nice but rarely actually happens. We also exist at a time when many people crave community but don’t know how to find or create it.
What if there were communal spaces where people could gather to purposefully unwind without their phones and engage in both restful and restorative activities together? Welcome to Offline Club socials, where you can read, journal, or even nap with strangers in addition to doing puzzles, playing games, and doing arts and crafts.
If hitting a nightclub sounds like a nightmare way to unwind for you, a social like this might just be your dream gathering.
What an Offline Club event entails
Phones get tucked away upon arrival, with the intention of inviting people to slow down, disconnect from the online world, and connect with people in the real world. It might involve a silent hour for rest and then some calm social time. It might include craft activities, board games, or jigsaw puzzles. Organizers call it a “safe and quiet alternative to the regular party scene,” which sounds like a breath of fresh air to many people who simply don’t jive with the club/bar nightlife.
Offline Club socials are fairly new and are held mostly in large cities in Europe. However, the desire for more of these kinds of events is clear, and the idea is spreading all over the world. They don’t always look the same. Some might take place in a cafe or a pub. Or they might happen outside in a park, in a museum after hours, or in a 400-year-old church, like this one in Amsterdam:
People are clamoring for spaces like this to disconnect and connect
There are all kinds of names for offline events: Digital detoxes. Analog parties. Screen-free soirees. Whatever you call them, people are hungry for these kinds of spaces, as evidenced by comments on Offline Club videos:
“This sounds like GenX nerds being usual nerds together in coffee shops, book stores, people’s houses, loungey music shops. I miss it.”
“I’d do this just to pretend it’s the 80’s again.”
“Gen Z craving offline activities and hobbies. Gen X reminiscent of our entire childhood and teenagehood being offline.”
“This is community at rest. Community works, contributes, supports, produces…and rests.”
“It’s almost like we were supposed to live in communities where socializing was part of life and not meant to be draining but calming and restorative, a balance of energetically taking and giving.”
“I love people just peopling together. We are a cute species when we are nice to each other and can coexist without judgement.”
“At 45 this is now my idea of ‘clubbing’ and I’m here for it.”
“Not going to lie, other than a beach with a book this seems like a top tier vacation to me.”
“Less screen time, more real time”
The Offline Club was started by three guys from Amsterdam who spent a weekend offline in the Dutch countryside in 2021. They found the experience life-changing and soon started hosting offline getaways out in nature. In 2024, they decided to adapt the concept to cities.
The club’s website explains the simple “why” behind these events:
“We live in a time in which loneliness, deteriorating mental health, and digital overload are some of the most pressing challenges.
We find it hard to switch off, real-life communities are disappearing, and social media is driving us apart. Oh, and we all spend a little more time on our phones than we want…
We believe the world needs a bit more humanity. More togetherness. More fun. More relaxation.
Or, with other words: Less screen time, more real time.“
The Offline Club still hosts retreats, and people can apply to open up a club chapter in their own city. Who wants to be the first to lead a chapter in the United States?
Check out The Offline Club website to learn more.
