Parents set up first 'digital detox' for Kent town

  • Tap to watch video report by ITV Meridian's Joe Coshan

Residents in Whitstable are being urged to put down their smartphones this weekend as part of a parent-led effort to raise of the impacts of excessive use.

The campaign called Whitstable Unplugged is encouraging the community to take part in a 'digital detox'.

Organiser Amy Lawrence told ITV Meridian: “I think this is the revolution that's coming. Unfortunately, we didn't know about the harms of smartphones when they first came out like ten years ago and we're only just learning about the potential impacts.

"So we're asking people on Sunday 24th November to switch off their phones, to detox for the day, to enjoy and be present.

“That's not just here in Whitstable, that's across Kent, across the South East.”

Actors perform Generation FOMO - a play about young people's relationship with their smartphones and social media. Credit: ITV News Meridian

As part of the event, There was a live performance of Generation FOMO, a verbatim play presented by Portrait Theatre, exploring the experiences of young people using social media and the impact on their mental health.

The play was created from interviews conducted with primary and secondary school pupils as well as students from the University of Kent, about their relationships with their smartphones and social media and the impact this has on their day-to-day lives.

Writer and director Isabelle Defaut told ITV Meridian: "They were so candid, they need our help."

Athena Martin, Head Girl at Simon Langton Girls’ School, said she's witnessed first hand the challenges her generation faces.

"You feel that that pressure to almost conform to what everyone else is doing, even though you might not necessarily feel you want to.

"I feel like it's got to the point, especially in restaurants, you know how usually the first thing you’d do is ask the menu from the waiter?

"But when I go out with my friends, the first thing people tend to ask is actually for the WiFi password."

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