200 People Ditched Their Phones at This Amsterdam Church

Picture 200 people in a historic Amsterdam church, not a single phone in sight. Instead, they're painting, writing letters to their 80-year-old selves, and talking face-to-face while a pianist plays live music.

Welcome to the Offline Club, a movement that started in 2024 when three students in Amsterdam decided to create spaces where screens aren't welcome. What began as a small cafe gathering has exploded into a network across 18 European cities with 600,000 Instagram followers.

Co-founder Ilya Kneppelhout designs each event around slowing down. Some sessions focus on creative activities like crafting and puzzling, while others center on connection through board games, conversations, and nature walks.

For 31-year-old artist Brian Hermeljin, these gatherings offer something rare in modern life. "These kinds of activities just allow me to really understand what it means to be present and also slow down in your mind," he says.

Bernard Kappele, 27, finds that touching pen and paper grounds him in ways his screen never could. "Looking back, as a child, I would always be drawing and things like that," he explains, adding that the experience reconnects him with his inner child.

The $49 tickets to Amsterdam sessions sell out quickly. The club has scheduled eight additional April events to meet demand.

Marketing specialist Penny Steenbeek, 29, appreciates the shared commitment. She struggles to put her phone down alone at home, but finds it easier when surrounded by people who share the "same vibe."

The Ripple Effect

The movement reflects a growing trend among young people eager to reclaim their attention. Social media companies design apps to keep users scrolling through short-term rewards, creating circuits that are hard to break, according to Surya Gayet, an experimental psychology professor at Utrecht University.

The concern goes beyond individual wellbeing. Research increasingly links social media to mental health risks and developmental harms, particularly in children.

Australia made headlines by banning social media for children under 16, while Greece, France, Austria, Spain, Denmark, Indonesia, and Malaysia are pursuing similar restrictions.

For 41-year-old consultant Nicola Cloherty, the Offline Club sessions offer something precious. "This just returns me to a simpler way of being and the joys that I experienced as a kid," she says.

What started as three students wanting less screen time has become a reminder that connection, creativity, and presence don't require a single notification.