Modern Americans rely on their phones for nearly everything, so it’s no surprise that more than 90% own a smartphone. The most recent available data show cellphone users typically look at their devices more than 200 times a day – but most adults under 45 also say they want to use screens less. As Americans wrestle with an increasingly digital world, a new trend is emerging: phone-free bars and restaurants.
Phone-Free in NC
Charlotte, NC, is home to a new phone-free cocktail bar called Antagonist. Upon entering, guests are required to hand their phones over to the host, who locks the addictive device in a special pouch. The pouch stays with the phone’s owner the entire time – but only the host can unlock it when a guest decides to leave.
While embracing the phone-free atmosphere, guests can play old-school games such as chess, checkers, Scrabble, Guess Who, and Yahtzee. "I want to build a place that kind of forces you to connect," Mike Salzarulo told Axios.
While the bar has been open only since March, the phone-free experience has gotten positive reviews, including one guest who wrote, “My husband and I spent the evening playing games, laughing, and flirting with one another, and it was the perfect environment for that kind of connection. I would absolutely recommend this place for couples or friends who want a space to truly disconnect from their phones and reconnect with each other.”
Like Antagonist, a high-end supper club chain called Deliliah’s, with locations from coast to coast, prides itself on its “exclusivity and discretion” and enforces a “no phones, no posting” policy, “allowing guests to fully immerse themselves in the evening without digital distractions.”
Fancy cocktail bars and ritzy restaurants aren’t the only establishments attempting phone-free dining – some locations of the popular fast food chain Chick-fil-A have offered families free ice cream if they keep their phones off the table during their meal.
Digital Overload
While the trend started to gain traction before the COVID-19 pandemic, interest has grown in recent years as users of all ages experience digital overload. According to a 2022 study by eMarketer, a research organization that focuses on digital marketing, media, and commerce, American adults spend more than 13 hours every day engaging with phones, tablets, laptops, televisions, and gaming devices.
"The push behind phone-free dining is cognitive overload. Phone-free dining offers a form of psychological relief that will foster meaningful connection again and allow us to focus on the present moment,” said Dr. Vinay Saranga, founder of the North Carolina Institute of Advanced NeuroHealth.
Excessive screen time can negatively impact mental and physical health by taking away from socialization and exercise. Luckily, digital detoxes – such as phone-free dining – can make a positive difference. Kostadin Kushlev, associate professor of psychology in the College of Arts & Sciences at Georgetown University, explained that it doesn’t take a flip phone and blocking the internet completely to reap the benefits of a digital break: “[P]artial detoxes work pretty well.”
A study conducted by Kushlev and others found that participants who reduced their smartphone usage experienced less anxiety, less stress, and better sleep while detoxing. They also reported being “more satisfied with their lives.” Sounds like those phone-free bars and restaurants may be on to something.
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