{
  "id": 3493645,
  "title": "Phone-free social events are a thing now (and they are amazing)",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/phone-free-social-events-are-a-thing-now-and-they-are-amazing",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-26T11:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Vox",
    "slug": "vox",
    "url": "https://www.vox.com/life/500453/phone-free-social-events-dance-parties"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a recent trend, phone-free social events are gaining popularity and are being described as amazing. At an East Village bar in New York, Richie Bell, a 23-year-old, had to hand over his phone to a bouncer for a queer, phone-free funk dance party called Who’s Dancing?. Instead of surrendering his phone, Bell allowed security to tape both the front and back-facing cameras, which prevented him from using it throughout the event. This experience made Bell feel more comfortable mingling with others and dancing without the fear of their actions being recorded and shared online. Phone-free social gatherings are becoming more common across the country, with venues such as clubs, bars, music venues, and even new establishments in cities like San Francisco and Philadelphia adopting the practice. This trend reflects a growing frustration with being constantly connected, as well as a desire to reclaim attention and foster genuine connections by eliminating the distractions of smartphones. Experts believe that even a brief break from smartphones can significantly enhance the atmosphere of social events.",
  "summary": "Richie Bell stood at the door of an East Village bar, nervous for a singular reason: he had to hand over his phone to a bouncer to get in. At 23 years old, Bell had hardly ever been without a device — he got his first iPhone in elementary school — but when he saw […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}