DISCONNECTING FROM THE

DIGITAL SPACE

The increase of wifi spots across New York City, along with a wide

spectrum of global, cosmopolitan cities have all been participating in a

digital connectedness as a means for locals, tourists and passerbyers

alike to all stay interactive on their devices. While this was primarily

initiated to further connectedness on social media platforms, to

promote engagement via text messaging and internet browsing, both

Olson and Roder of Horizon’s TrendSights have concluded that

becoming a “smart city” may not necessarily spark an overall increase

in user engagement.

Although both Olson and Roder have noticed this trendgradually appearing in consumer and social behavior, theyagree that the increased effort on the consumer’s behalf todistance themselves from their devices has been far morenoticeable in the past six months. Olson comments on thistrend by stating that "Most people have had smartphonesfor awhile now, but I think people had to kind of live withthem for a while and internalize all the effects the phones

have on one's life before they felt this itch to return to amore disconnected life."

Olson comments on this trend by stating that"Most people have had smartphones for awhilenow, but I think people had to kind of live withthem for a while and internalize all the effectsthe phones have on one's life before they felt

this itch to return to a more disconnected life."

As this concept of distance from devices has augmentedwithin the last year or so, consumers have been responding in

different forms in order to counteract what they feel is thelack of meaningful social engagement. More concretely, one

interesting that has been making a strong statement as anoverall response to the digital connectedness as a whole, is thefad of adult sleep-away camps that mandate an environment

which calls for no devices or anything digitally related.

An adult sleepaway camp called “Camp Grounded,”has locations from New York to Northern California

and offers features like typewriters, stargazing, sweatlodges and gourmet cuisine in the hopes of visitors totake a step back from their busy, digitally occupying

lives. click on this link.

This essentially highlights how adamantly digital

consumers of all ages are actively attempting to

create more authentic, face to face human

interaction in their daily lives. To read more

about how consumers are disconnecting from the

digital space