On an overcast Sunday in early April, the long meadow in Prospect Park is lightly sprinkled with visitors. One cluster stands out–a young bright-eyed high school group sporting ‘60s & ‘70s thrifted garments radiate a curious energy. They’re engrossed in kinetic conversation, reading, drawing, writing–not a smartphone in sight.
This is the Luddite club, a movement rejecting technology and social media in favor of face to face connection and good old fashioned analog entertainment.
“I’ve had a flip phone for 3 years now,” said Jameson (pictured right), the Luddite club’s founder. “I got my mental capacity back and I’m able to engage in hobbies, I’m able to read a book. All these things that wouldn’t be possible being on my phone.”
Devon (left) and Lucy (right) sit side by side, both reading Jane Eyre. “Before I joined the club, I was friends with Jameson and we would just hang out,” says Lucy. “I had three months where I read a book a day and that was a product of not being on my phone.”
Another benefit of an untethered lifestyle is developing a strong sense of self. “You’re able to find your own identity without the outside influence of social media creating a standardized sort of thing,” says Devon. “So it’s really helpful finding not only your own persona and yourself, but also finding things that you love.”
Jameson elaborates, “That’s the thing about the phone, it seriously stops you from getting to know yourself,” she says. “I think a lot of people are estranged from themselves. That’s been a really big part of the Luddite journey for me … getting to know myself better.” That journey has led Jameson to spending more time with her family. She says she’s even inspiring her parents to reexamine their relationship with technology. “They used to always yell at me, ‘Get off instagram!’ and now I’m yelling at them, ‘Get off facebook! It’s family dinner! what are you doing!”
“We need reform,” says Jackie, who organizes free events that focus on public engagement. One such event is called the “SHITPHONE conference,” which, Jackie explains, stands for the Scathing Hatred of Information Technology and the Passionate Hemorrhaging of Our Neoliberal Experience. “We’re all going to be there to talk about how we hate technology and how it limits our autonomy.”
Yet, despite the bevy of benefits, some wonder if the Luddite lifestyle is ultimately sustainable. “I’m actually planning on becoming a software engineer,” says Devon. “It’s definitely something I’ve had to think about.” She continues, “Hopefully I can find a way to integrate that into environmental engineering, and find a way to use what I’m doing for something better than myself and try to help the world while also doing what I like.”
The SHITPHONE conference will be held at 3PM at Tompkins Square Park on Saturday April 26th.