Even the Garmins came off

We ran our first No Tech Adventure on 13 September. Sixteen of us met at Paddington, all phones went off and we hopped on the train out to Pangbourne.

A few surprises, for starters. I wasn’t expecting everyone to take off their Garmins and Apple Watches. It was actually quite nice to see how willingly people wanted to create that break from tech. Admittedly Sacha was chief of staff for our travel arrangements, so it caught me by surprise that we were changing trains in Reading. But it was largely a smooth journey getting there.

I have to say, it took a lot less time than I expected to notice the impact of not having tech on a train. Turns out we’re used to reaching for our phones sooner than we think, and suddenly it was time to spark up a conversation. It’s also learning to deal with the uncomfortable silences that fill a typical train conversation, the ones we’ve all become so used to.

We arrived in Pangbourne and, bar two people getting lost (we’ve put better toilet stop plans in place for next time), the day went relatively smoothly. Perhaps the most pleasing part was hearing the impact it had on people within just an afternoon. There were comments like “I’ve never connected with that person on that level” and “I actually just don’t want to go back on my phone now”. I even noticed friends acting differently with their phones afterwards, going for a walk without one or leaving it in the kitchen at night. All great signs that a small trip can have a far wider impact.

Underlying all of it was a feeling that we’re really onto something. People want to switch off more than ever, and it looks like we may have the beginning of something that can break through those seemingly impossible dopamine loops and make a real difference.

What’s next

With that said, we’re doubling down on trip two: a run and hike out of Box Hill in Surrey. It’s the same idea in a different format. A few things we’re changing to make it even better:

1. A proper recce. Sacha has already been out to Box Hill and found us a great route for both the hike and the run, as well as the bathroom breaks and the best pubs. We’re also getting a couple of brick phones so the two groups can message each other.
2. Better ways to meet new people. We want everyone to come away feeling more connected to the others who came along, so we’re building in more ways to get conversation going. Suggestions are very welcome.
3. More time on the activity. This time it’s a full run or hike followed by lunch, which is a great time to connect without the phone.

We’re capping it at 30. I’d have had 50, but my sister is rightly reining me in to make sure we nail the experience before we scale.

Thanks to all of you for supporting us from the start.

Mark