BBCA cafe in Swansea has banned phones and laptops for one evening a month in an attempt to encourage customers to have more meaningful interactions.
Helen Wilson, owner of Ground Plant Based Coffee in Brynmill, said she disliked the pressure of having her own devices turned on at all times and wanted to offer “a space for people to connect”.
She said the response to the cafe’s “offline nights” had been positive so far, adding: “There were strangers sat on tables together, and a lot of skill sharing such as knitting and crocheting.”
The average person in the UK spends four hours and 20 minutes online each day, according to the latest Ofcom research.
Helen, who opened her cafe in 2021, said she was inspired to begin the offline nights after seeing similar events in London and Amsterdam.
“My personal use of my mobile and devices was something I was aware of, the pressure of having my device on at all times,” she said.
“I really loved the idea offering a space for people to connect, which is why I’ve decided to do this monthly going forward,” Helen added.
She said during the offline night, during which she played music from old tapes on two ghetto blasters, the cafe had a “relaxed and happy vibe”.
The biggest difference, Helen noticed, was that “people [were] talking to each other”.
“We had a real mixture of ages from teenagers, to couples and elderly people.”
So what did the customers think?
Will and George, who are both students at Swansea University, said they were unaware that it was an “offline night” when they first me up for a coffee at the cafe.
“We saw the sign on the door and thought ‘why not’,” said Will, although he admitted “secretly” hoping it was not happening when he first saw the sign.
After spending 45 minutes screen-free, he said he was “glad” he came in.
George said he felt like he was “constantly” on his phone, with TikTok and Instagram being his most used apps.
How much time do they spend on their phones each day?
George said he spent around seven hours, while Will said his average was more like nine hours.
Another customer, Elisabet, came to the cafe after seeing the event advertised on Facebook.
“It was really relaxing to sit there without my phone,” she said.
“I usually spend my days watching videos on TikTok, so it’s nice to come here and relax.”
Paula, who also attended the event, said she felt “anxious” about coming into town without being able to go on her phone.
“I regularly go down the beach without my phone, but coming into a cafe in town made me a lot more anxious,” she said.
“It felt ridiculous signing off before I went in,” she added, after messaging her friends to say that she would speak to them again in two hours.
At the Alpine Coffee Shop in Betws-y-Coed, Conwy, the owners have taken a different approach – by getting rid of customer wifi.
The rural location in the village means that not everyone receives a mobile phone signal either.
Lili, who works in the cafe, said many customers had welcomed the change.
“There are a lot of people who feel pressure to be on their phone and answer everything, but it’s nice to have a coffee and a minute to just enjoy the situation and enjoy Betws-y-Coed,” she said.
“We don’t really get a lot of people asking about wi-fi, and that’s a good thing I think.”
‘Detoxing can break the habit’
A recent study by accounting firm Ernst & Young found 38% of UK consumers were concerned about having too much screen time.
Almost half (47%) of 18 to 34-year-olds surveyed said they viewed their online activities as more disruptive than beneficial to their well-being.
Phil Reed, a professor of psychology at Swansea University, said anything that breaks the habit should be “welcomed”.
“Detoxing can help break that habit because it stops you just engaging in it and anything that breaks the habit, anything that stops the pattern is really, really helpful,” he said.
“Anything that develops old-fashioned social contact linking people together outside that medium of digital communication, which is very constraining.”
