A growing number of UK groups and venues are encouraging people to spend time without smartphones, using activities such as phone lockboxes, social events and retreats to break patterns of doomscrolling. The trend matters because many participants say enforced separation helps them feel more present, connect more easily with others and reconsider how much time they spend on devices.

The London-based Offline Project, launched in August 2025, asks attendees at events including walks, collage classes and supper clubs to lock away their phones for two or three hours. One regular, Essex business owner Jarred Laros, reports average daily screen time of seven and a half hours, while Ofcom said UK adults spent an average of four and a half hours online daily in 2025; a separate survey found adults spent more time on phones than watching television for the first time.