Tired of tech: Phone-free meetups are catching on in Bengaluru

Bengalureans are turning to phone-free events to connect with others or simply digitally detox for a few hours. 

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Service for Healthy Use of Technology (SHUT) clinic at Nimhans received over 5,000 registrations since it started a parent group for addressing tech addiction among children in May. According to its coordinator, Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, studies show that the average Bengalurean is using a screen for 8-10 hours a day. This is taking time away from other activities, especially from fostering face-to-face relationships.

How to disconnect

Analogue Club, Phone Free Sunday, and Tribe of Trees (TOT) are a few events for a digital detox. These gatherings help foster interpersonal connection, encourage introspection and help one connect with nature, participants say. Collectively, their communities number in the 100s, with interest growing daily. 

Analogue Club is held one Sunday a month at The Studio by Copper and Cloves in Domlur, a wellness space run by London-born Sarah Edwards. Having healthy digital habits is the “most important” thing when it comes to wellness, Sarah says. 

The free-flowing nature of Analogue Club is integral to its success, she adds. Activities — art, crochet and a variety of board games — are provided for people to engage in at their own pace. There is no set programme or expectations. “There is a visibly high level of connection between people,” she says. “They are just more present.”

Sheeba Royce is the resident artist of Analogue Club and is experienced with helping first-time artists. She says art is a great way to get in touch with yourself. “It’s about the journey,” she says. “People start out resistant and by the end you can't stop them.”

Urvi Ambavai, a finance consultant, has attended Analogue Club twice. She has tried to limit her phone use, but finds it difficult to impose restrictions on herself. At Analogue Club, she enjoys the enforced phone-free time, and has also made some new friends. 

Participant Nitya Kumar says the first time she came to Analogue Club it was to seek solitude. She used the time to read her book and write in her diary.

Urvi Ambavai, a finance consultant, has attended Analogue Club twice. She has tried to limit her phone use, but finds it difficult to impose restrictions on herself. At Analogue Club, she enjoys the enforced phone-free time, and has also made some new friends.

Participant Nitya Kumar says the first time she came to Analogue Club it was about seeking solitude. She used the time to read her book and write in her diary.

She says has a different experience every time she comes, but no matter what her mood is, there is a space for her to explore it at Analogue Club.

Regular attendee Dan Williamson says that his phone use is "standardly terrible, like everyone else.”

He thinks that an over-reliance on phones has taken away a lot of the spontaneity in life. “The gamble isn’t there anymore.”

He says analogue club is a great place to make friends, especially as an expat. He has also enjoyed learning how to knit.

At Phone Free Sunday, one can hand over their phone at the entrance. But it is not strictly enforced. The six-hour event, held once a month, is organised by Katching Upp, a community by a startup called Kaunversations, which facilitates community-building events.

It has a relaxed format and every session is different, yet carefully curated. Even members are invited to host workshops or activities such as dance, 3D model building and human bingo.

“We are facilitating the choice to be phone-free,” says Saloni Shah, the founder of Kaunversations. 

TOT is an organisation focused on ecopsychology. They aim to facilitate a sustainable relationship between people and nature. Their phone-free nature immersion walks are held in Bannerghatta National Park every Sunday. These events focus on contemplation and connection with nature rather than socialising. 

Dr Ashwini Tadpatrikar, consultant with TOT, explains that phone use is strictly forbidden during the event. Participants are also not permitted to speak to each other, in order to facilitate a deeper connection with nature. 

The groups are capped at 15, and the experience includes mindfulness practices like body scans and yoga. “It’s similar to the Japanese concept of forest bathing, but we don’t call it this. People can misunderstand it to mean they have to undress,” she shares. 

As well as the ‘regular’ walk, there is an art walk, a sound walk, and a night-time star-gazing walk.

Dr Ashwini says people have mixed reactions to being phone-free. While most are on board with the benefits, others struggle and some want to take photographs.

Effect on mental health 

Dr Sharma believes digital detoxing is crucial for mental wellbeing. Phone use has become a compulsive behaviour pattern. “It is often the activity people turn to at the slightest excuse, including boredom and stress,” he explains.

He recommends 40 minutes to an hour of digital detox per day for those keen on curbing their tech use. These phone-free events are a great place to start, he adds. “Phone-free social groups can provide a structured environment to experience interpersonal relationships without ‘technoference’,” he points out.

Technoference is a term used to describe how technology interferes with relationships. “Phone use during social occasions dilutes the quality of the interaction, leading to stress as people try to juggle multiple interactions. Additionally, verbal and non-verbal cues are missed,” he elaborates.

WARNING SIGNS

Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma points out the three signs of an unhealthy relationship with one’s digital
devices.

Prioritisation: When technology use becomes more important than other things, including the people around
the user. 

Preoccupation: When someone is thinking about technology even when they’re not using it.

Consequences: When there are consequences to someone’s technology use, including when it affects their relationships, their physical health or their work.