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First mass 24-hour event to help people put down their phones
The Guardian
|September 21, 2024
Haunted by a pile of unread books? Or taunted by outdoor kit lurking in the cupboard? If you are one of the British adults who spends on average five hours a day looking at screens rather than participating in pastimes, perhaps it's time to join the offline revolution.
Instead of spending those five hours staring at a screen, you could read about 300 pages of a book, climb Mount Snowdon, or - depending on your pace-run a marathon. Some are even choosing to turn off their devices for the day.
Tomorrow, more than 1,000 people have pledged to take back control of their downtime and go on a 24-hour digital detox. The event is run by the Offline Club, which says its mission is to "swap screen time for real time".
Those who have signed up will be invited to a Zoom call today where they will get tips and tricks to survive the next day without the internet.
Philip, 33, a branding director from Rotterdam, Netherlands, has signed up. Between working behind a desk all day and coming home to watch TV and "doomscroll", he can spend up to 14 hours a day looking at screens.
This story is from the September 21, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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