PARTNERSHIPS | COMMUNITY | PODCAST | FRIENDS
Apps That Push People To Log Off Go Viral
Go off // GIF by Kate Walker
Platforms that make people put down their smartphones are becoming one of the hottest online… and offline… trends.
Why It Hits: As we’ve said many times in this newsletter, research shows that too much screen time, social media, and endless doomscrolling are taking a toll on us. Young people agree — a 2024 Pew study found that nearly half of teens think social media has mostly negative effects, with only 11% saying it’s mostly positive. Now, as platforms break down in utility, top features get paywalled, and AI slop floods the feed, people are looking for connection IRL.
Between The Lines: According to Insider, the phrase “offline is the new luxury” is taking off.
222 matches people to explore their local city together — and it already boasts hundreds of thousands of users.
Timeleft pairs people for dinners and, hopefully, sparks friendships.
Pie brings people together for local events like book clubs and workouts.
Kanso organizes phone-free gatherings for “ambitious” people.
The Future: These phone-free events and meetups are part of a broader movement to log off — one that includes digital minimalism, analog bags, and IRL entertainment. People are realizing that a digital detox shouldn’t be a once-a-year stunt, but a weekly routine like hitting the gym. It’s society learning how to be healthy and balanced again.
Prediction: The new era of “going viral” might mean hearing about an event or experience through the grapevine — but finding no media anywhere to prove it even happened.
Together with Descript
Create Videos That Get Noticed
Create studio-quality videos in minutes — no crew, no hassle. Record or upload your footage, get instant transcripts, generate images, remove fillers, and add polished captions with a click.
PARTNERSHIPS | COMMUNITY | PODCAST | FRIENDS
Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.