Research: For most partygoers, recording videos is more important than enjoying the moment

A new study on phone use at parties was conducted ahead of the Amsterdam Dance Event and Barry Can’t Swim, where mobile phones were banned.

“Remember when dancing meant moving your feet, not your toes?” – that’s the opening line of the research conducted by Heineken, which has joined the fight for mobile-free dance floors in “action”.

According to the research, 60% of Gen Z and millennials who use smartphones in the UK, US and the Netherlands think they would enjoy concerts more if they could disconnect from their devices. More worryingly, 55% of respondents admitted that recording the performance is more important to them than being present in the moment, although only 13% of them said they rarely review the recordings they have made.

The new research comes ahead of the Amsterdam Dance Event and the party where Scottish DJ and producer Barry Can’t Swim banned the use of mobile phones.

“When you listen to live music, you’re naturally more present on the dance floor and you enjoy the moment when you’re paying full attention to the performance, rather than recording videos with your phone. When phones are not used at parties, the energy is definitely different – ​​people are more connected on the dance floor,” says Barry Can’t Swim after his first mobile-free party.

We’ve written about the topic of mobile phone use on dance floors several times this year. In fact, 90% of our readers responded in a survey that they support a ban on mobile phones on dance floors. They’re not alone, as this problem is widely recognized, and this summer we had the opportunity to see DJs, parties and clubs speaking out about the use of mobile phones on dance floors and calling for their reduction or ban.

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