www.raptitude.com: A few nights ago I saw Jack White in concert. It was a wonderful night, and a big part of that was due to a new rule he has imposed on all his tour dates: no phones.
When you arrive, you have to put your phone into a neoprene pouch, supplied by a company called Yondr, which they lock and give back to you. If you want to use your phone during the show, you can go into the concourse and unlock it by touching it to one of several unlocking bases. The concert area itself remains screen-free.
9 comments:
I love that this is happening. I find myself appalled at how often and how many people are glued to their screens not only at concerts, but in all social situations. Last night I went to the movies with some friends and the film really got me thinking about things I would have loved to talk about, but as soon as we all walked out of the theater every person I was with pulled out their phones and stood in a circle. Together, but not at all.
To tell someone, you cannot have this experience unless you agree not to touch your phone is something I wish were more common. We are so focused on documentation, and it isn’t even for our own benefit. Memories are muddied by smartphones, we just want to advertise our lives to others, to perpetuate the idea that we are living a life of value, when ironically enough, we are stripping it of some of its value by being disengaged all the time.
I think this is a very good idea for people to do at concerts. I love my phone and really do like being on it but I also think that in places like this being on your phone is not an asset and the experience is better off of phones. I think sometimes at concerts people get too caught up at taking thousands of videos of every single song to post on their snapchat or Instagram story that they don’t actually end up watching the concert at all. I also agree a lot with what this article said about how when people are on their phones it brings the mood down of everyone around. I am often out with my friends or my brother and when we are eating and they on their phones and when we go places just because it is a good place to take pictures to post on social media, it makes me think sometimes that phones are more important than friends or family. I am definitely guilty of this too and I think that it is something in our culture that could be worked on and I do think that this no phone rule at this concert is a good start.
The article “The Simple Joy of ‘No Phones Allowed’” talks about how the artist, Jack White has recently implemented a rule to the audience members of his concerts, no phones. I love this idea, I try not to go on mine when I’m at a concert because I feel it takes me out of the experience, and makes me feel like i'm there for reason other than my own enjoyment but to show others that I do enjoy it. When I have taken it out to try to take a video it feels like i missed a part of the concert and got out of the flow of the music. I know that hearing to detach from your phone more often starts to feel like a broken record, because I feel the same way, but I feel like when it comes to such an experience as a concert, it's better to stay fully in your environment, it may be more enjoyable. Maybe after Jack White’s decision, audience members may try to go without their phones on their own. Also I’m happy that this is coming from Jack White, coming from a person who listened to a bit of White Stripes freshman year of highschool.
I have always been against policies like this, especially in the arts. I agree that people should be respectful in their use of technology, but I felt like banning screens altogether was too traditional. It seems to be very “durr hburr technology is bad fire is scary and thomas edison was a witch” esque. But I guess I can understand the appeal in some settings. After all, there is something to being unplugged that changes the mood. For me though, I think I would just become anxious at the thought of not being in contact with people. And there are a lot of safety reasons by locking your phone away isn’t a great idea. But at the end of the day, people can have the experiences they want to have. And if all of these fans decided giving up their phones is worth it, then who am I to say no I suppose.
I love the idea of going places and having your cellphone usage restricted. In a way, it really does remind me of smoking. There are many parallels between the two. Cigarettes and cigars used to be thought of as harmless, just as phones are now. Smoking used to be allowed everywhere, just as phones are. I’m curious if at some point in our future they will find the harm with smartphones and they will go in the way of cigarettes. Both are equally addictive and affect social life the same way. Actually, some of my friends and I are going to switch over to flip phones for a month. We want to see if we can get along without smartphones. I think, just like at this concert, it will help us stay in the present moment and really enjoy life. I hate not being able to connect to people because of my phone or their phone. I’m hoping this experiment will help me appreciate life a little more.
I had heard about this strategy in the past but only in a theoretical. I thought it was a good idea overall but I was worried about the pushback it would get from audiences. We are so attached to our phones today because our phones hold a lot of resources we have grown used to being at the touch of a screen. I am glad to hear that most people, or at least the author of this article observed most people really enjoying the freedom from their phone. I think the author of this article makes a great point in that when we have something that can automatically disconnect us in the palm of our hands, it is easy to rely on that when something doesn't spark your interest right away, and disconnecting can certainly affect all of those around you, certainly people trying to entertain you by performing. Overall, I would like to try this experience out for myself.
I have a love-hate relationship with phones at concerts. On the one hand I do want to record my experiences at a concert for a band that I love. I have revisited the photos and videos I have taken of past concerts and they are some of my favorite pieces of media I have recorded. They have allowed me to remember and re-experience some of my favorite memories, such as my first real live concert, or the last concert I went to with my Ex-girlfriend. People say to just live in the moment and remember what you were doing but memories don't work that way for me. I don't remember what happened yesterday. But the thing is I think I have my phone out for maybe 5 minutes over the course of the entire concert. The point I think that really resonates with me in this article however is the elimination of boredom. I find myself reaching for my phone in every spare moment I have, trying to fill any little time I have with inane internet things. I think the solution that Jack White and the company he hired came up with is really ingenious and smart. Allowing people to actually keep their phones on their persons but actually locking them up removes the logistical problem of having to store everybody's phones and people refusing to give you their phones.
This is interesting in that banning the technology in the concert is working and being received positively. I have been to concerts where artists adapted the technology in the very opposite way and incorporated it into part of their performance. They actively advocated for using phones, recording videos and uploading on Instagram, and even chose a hashtag for the postings. I thought it was a smart and inevitable answer to the evolving technology and culture. But I also remember during those concerts there were many moments I could not focus on the stage because I wanted to get my phone and record a video. People in front of me were holding their phones up high to get a better shot and therefore blocked my view frequently. I do love the fact that I can relive the moment later but to do so the actual moments were bothered. So I guess I support the banning of the technology in a way. I wish I could experience that myself and feel the difference.
I have such mixed feelings about this. Like Emma said this gives me some serious anti-technology vibes but there’s obviously some clear benefits to banning phones at concerts. I will say that it’s almost become a staple of concerts nowadays to see a sea of phone screens in any picture or video. Maybe this policy will save my instagram and Snapchat from five minute stories of various concerts through an iPhone camera. I think that using a pouch that can be unlocked is the best way to enforce this policy, as that way people can still keep their phones on them but are restricted from using them. Personally I don’t know how I would feel about locking away my phone, a I would imagine the line to unlock them could get a little crazy right after a concert gets out. I don’t know if I would be comfortable not being able to reach out to people during the show in case something happened.
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