- After Hours
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- ISSUE #001
After Hours
The weekly newsletter covering tech, culture & life outside our digital world
ISSUE #001: The Counterculture is Offline
1 Thing From Me
THE INTRO
“You look like that one actor! You know, uh, … the one from that movie where he uh, … the one where he has to defeat all the ex-boyfriends!”
*record scratch* *freeze frame* Yep, that's me, the guy who looks like pre-pubescent Michael Cera. You're probably wondering how I got here.
Or maybe you’re wondering how I manage to look so damn sexy all the time.
Well stick around and let me tell you!
THE EVENT
I tried something new this past Wednesday. I went to a phone-free social event. It’s exactly what it sounds like. You walk in, cough up your phone, and then you’re supposed to live in the moment or some shit idk.
It was kind of electric.
Down the stairs and to the left. I walk in and am greeted by the host. He has me put my phone in this weird case thing. It’s like a coat check for iPhones.
I ease into the night with a couple beers and a few handshakes. Set at a billiards bar, it’s dimly lit and there are small groups of people scattered throughout the space. About 30 of us in total.
It starts off a little timid, most of us strangers. The conversation was alright to begin. I talked to one guy who saw a ghost, reaching for a phone that wasn’t there.
It wasn’t until I got on the pool table when the night shifted. Myself and a few others clicked and divided up the teams. I break, and right out the gate I’m lights out, 3 stripes in the hole to start. I’m not one to brag (I am) but I swear I looked like Fast Eddie with the cue in hand. I was sinkin’ em.
(next time you’re at Sugar Mouse, ask about me. they’ll know.)
The game was over quick. Chest puffed up and impression made, I scout the room then start chatting with another group. We get right into it: talking technology, hustle culture, the most-overrated bars, why non-alcoholic beer is a giant psy-op— my kind of people.
The conversation was just flowing. These were all total strangers, we knew nothing of each other before the night but were talking like old friends. It was effortless.
All 30 people in that room could feel it. There was genuine presence in everyone you talked to. I was in the thick of it, if only for the night. It was teeming and alive and beautiful and fleeting.
THE POINT
The Counterculture is Offline.
I’ve spent the last year in the digital minimalism/digital wellness space, whatever you want to call it. For the uninitiated, there’s a growing cohort of people online who want to find ways to be more intentional about their technology use.
All of us are addicted to technology in one way or another. Some of us are fed up want to do something about it. We want more life, less distractions.
People are trying a lot of things to break the cycle: dumbphones, screentime-blocking software, online communities. Maybe you’ve even done a digital detox yourself. It’s all cool.
But it’s too easy to fall back into our old ways. We are hopelessly addicted to our phones and it costs us.
For how big a problem we can all agree this is— as individuals, in communities, and society at large— nothing’s really solving it. What gives?
I can’t tell you quite yet, but I do have a thesis. It connects to what I experienced at that phone-free event— a glimpse of what's possible when we truly disconnect. You’ll have to stick around for future editions of After Hours, because we are over 600 words and I might be losing you.
THE ASK
What matters is that we don’t let this go unsolved. People are lonelier than ever. We’re more divided than ever. These are fragile times.
This newsletter is a step towards contributing to a cause that’s worthy of doing something about. Even if it means I’ll be called cringe.
I’m going to be writing to you—beloved reader— every Friday. You need to enter your email and subscribe to join the club. I hope to see you there.
THE EXIT
I grabbed my phone from the iPhone coat check and began my exit. With one final glance back, I turn up the stairs as a wry smile breaks across my face.
“Why the f*ck did that guy say I look like Michael Cera?”
From The Feed
Andrew Trousdale writes a cunning synthesis, applying 20th century dystopian visions to today’s world: “The hidden price of mass amusement—once confined to our living rooms, now living in our pockets—is culture without substance, validity based on what feels good, and the willing surrender of our capacity for meaning.”
Deep topics and nice aesthetic aside, I actually prefer to debate The Rizzler’s caloric intake and whether or not he would be immune to a lethal dose of red 40.
life is supposed to feel like this
— YSL STANDARDS (@YSLstandards)
6:02 PM • Feb 27, 2025
R.I.P. TONY.
From The Community
This newsletter isn't just my voice echoing into the void— it's the beginning of a conversation. And like any good conversation at a dimly lit bar, I want to hear your stories.
Share with me:
The moment when you realized your phone was controlling more of your life than you were
The unexpected connection that happened in your life recently
The cultural shift you've noticed that no one else seems to be talking about
Your clever hack for creating phone-free spaces in your daily life
or anything else you desire really. I’m open to ideas here.
The most compelling stories will be anonymously featured in next week's issue, creating a mosaic of our collective offline experience.
Reply to this email with your story! If you’re reading online, fill out this form.
What’s Next
You’ll be hearing a lot more from me. If you enjoyed reading this issue, please consider subscribing to receive a new edition of After Hours every Friday.
Subscribe to our events calendar if you’re in NYC and want to join us offline! KD has curated a set of intimate, soulful gatherings of beautiful people set to live jazz music, and there’s much more to come. We want to see you out there!
Follow us Instagram & check out our website if you want to get in touch and learn more about what we’re doing.
That’s all from me guys. Happy Friday and see you next week.
— Kyle
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