While the party season well and truly kicks off, we see things falling quiet in 2019. That’s right – digital detoxing is set to become one of the major trends for 2019, and that means a whole lot more serenity coming our way.
Soho House is of course a photo-free-zone, and new Dalston opening Angelina is one of a few restaurants already on our radar that are launching phone-free areas. Next year we expect to be putting our phones firmly away (or in secure boxes on arrival) on the regular. If 2018 was a tipping point for vegan food, 2019 will do the same for digital-free zones while dining.
And it doesn’t stop there. Every two minutes in 2018, we took as many photos as were taken in the entire 19th century. There’s been a backlash in the works for some time – from the Unhashtag Vienna social media campaign from the city’s tourist board to Bali’s Ayana Resort and Spa’s banning of calls, texts and social media use around its River Pool. It seems the hospitality industry is ready to call time on incessant tech use, no matter how picturesque the setting. We’re also charting the rise of so-called ‘social media blackout’ holidays – where choosing a destination without Wifi or even mobile signal is part of the appeal to unplug – how things have changed in a few years!
Naturally, it’s also going to flow through to wellbeing. The Mandarin Oriental now offers digital wellness treatments at every spa across the group. The Digital Wellness Retreat consists of 80 minutes of soothing downtime, including an aromatherapy bath and massage to target tech-causing ‘problem areas’. The new generation detox is less about what you’re consuming and more about disconnecting completely. Silent retreats and stripped-back second phones (so you can leave the fully apped-up one at home) all point to one thing: time offline is likely to be one of the most meaningful trends in wellness for years to come.
