מועדון באמסטרדם מציע הפסקה מהעולם הדיגיטלי

A new club in Amsterdam is helping people step away from their screens. Attendees participate in a variety of offline activities alone and with each other in an effort to reconnect to the real world. NTD's Andrew Thomas has the details. You'll need to check your phone at the door. Around 200 people are attending a two-hour creative session at this former church in Amsterdam. An organization dubbed the Offline Club is hosting the event, structured around different themes. But the club isn't just about self-reflection. It's about making social connections in real life instead of online. The meetups give participants a break from the digital grind. Breaking dependence on digital dopamine can be tough. That's by design. And oh, that's nice. And then you have a 10-second reward rush. And then, oh, but what's the next image? And then it really works by sort of having you cling on to this app. Nicola Clority says the experience reminds her of what life was like before the ubiquity of screens. Being like nearly 42 and having had both sides of technology and device life and then not, this just returns me to a simpler way of being. And the joys that I experienced as a kid. Artist Brian Hermerlein describes his need for a digital break. Yeah, I think it's important to just connect. For me personally, I find myself being quite often on the internet, but also scrolling. So these kind of activities is allowing me to really understand what it means to be present. Marketing specialist Penny Steenbeek appreciates the social aspect. What I just really love is that you can kind of unwind, but also with other people. So when you're at home, it's just by yourself and you're like, OK, I cannot use my phone right now or I should just chill. And then it's a bit harder than when you're actually, yeah, go somewhere. Founded by students in 2024, the offline club has expanded across Europe. The group organizes sessions in 18 cities for those looking to break away from their screens. Andrew Thomas, NTD News.