The person who started a new club in Buffalo is motivating individuals to put down their devices and engage with each other face-to-face.
The Offline Club of Buffalo
gives people the time and space to the ditch technology that eats up so much of our time.
The concept is simple. If you put your phone away and take a break from it, you might end up having some great conversations and making some new friends.
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“Given that many people spend four, six, or even eight hours daily staring at screens, wouldn’t it make sense to dedicate a few of those hours to stepping away from technology, setting aside our phones?” asked Henry Raess, who founded and hosts the Offline Club of Buffalo.
Following the success of comparable clubs in Europe, Raess opted to establish The Offline Club of Buffalo.
“Have you done anything in your own life to reduce your phone usage? Have you done those restrictions on the apps, or do you look at the screen time thing?” 2 On Your Side’s Kelly Dudzik asked.
“To some extent. In the past, I was stricter with this habit. One significant change for me has been placing my phone in another room before going to sleep, which prevents nighttime or early-morning scrolling. This way, I must physically get out of bed to turn off the alarm when it goes off,” Raess explained.
The club convened for the initial meeting last week at the
The Bicycle Bottle Shop located in the Elmwood Village.
It opened earlier this year and sells bicycles, accessories, and zero-proof beverages.
“To create an area where we could enjoy beverages and interact socially without it being centered solely around alcohol and such settings, organizing various community activities within this place, along with providing enough room for over ten individuals, appeared to be the ideal setting to initiate this venture,” says Raess.
They began with an hour of casual mingling; some individuals were engaged in coloring activities, followed by the second hour dedicated to more profound discussions.
“Which stage of your life are you currently experiencing, or perhaps, what aspect are you attempting to release in order to foster more profound conversations and connections?” Raess asked.
The phones were collected at the entrance. According to Raess, the team brainstormed additional activity options which included playing board games, taking bicycle trips, and organizing a poetry evening.
Dudzik questioned whether anyone observed individuals becoming anxious as they were without their phones, and would they instinctively reach for their pockets only to find their devices missing.
“A few individuals experienced some mild anxiety, yet overall everyone managed quite well. However, there were instances when folks reached for their phones thinking they needed either to snap a photo or read messages, only to realize they had left them behind. This led to brief moments of realization—like ‘Oh.’ The truly pleasant part was seeing how effortlessly people adapted; perhaps there was slight tension at first, but mostly it turned into relief. People felt relieved enough to say ‘You know what? For once, I can just relax without worrying about my device,’” Raess mentioned.
“It feels rather liberating,” Dudzik stated.
“Yeah,” Raess said.
Raess intends to organize monthly official gatherings. The event scheduled for May 8th will include a “Show and Tell” session similar to what you experienced during your kindergarten days.
