“Swap screen time for real time.”
Mr. Kneppelhout, an Amsterdam native, studied business administration and journalism at New York’s Wagner College before returning home to the Netherlands, while Mr. Klok is a former chef with a degree in business and economics. Together with Mr. van Bennekom, they’re changing the way people view technology.
“We are of the opinion that real life is much more valuable than virtual life,” Mr. Kneppelhout told The Epoch Times. “That our time on the planet is very scarce. And that we shouldn’t be spending it behind a screen, but in the real world because the memories that we are going to have at the end of our lives are not going to be texts or Instagram posts—they’re going to be real interactions with real people.”
The Inspiration
In mid-2021, inspired by Bill Gates’s “think week,” where he unplugs from the internet to boost creativity, Mr. van Bennekom told Mr. Kneppelhout he was planning to unplug for a few days. His time away from technology produced wonderful results. The positive impact spurred on Mr. Kneppelhout, who spent a lot of time online, to try a digital detox of his own; he knew something needed to change in his own relationship with technology.“I felt rushed. I felt distracted,” Mr. Kneppelhout said. “I felt like I didn’t have time for things that I wanted to spend time on.”
The result of his detox, which lasted four days, was as amazing as his friend’s.
“I felt super rested. I felt very calm. I had so much inspiration and room for creativity and new ideas. I hadn’t felt like that in 10 years,” he said.
Inspired by the success of their digital detoxes, Mr. Kneppelhout and Mr. van Bennekom started Offline Getaway: an offline experience that houses 10 to 12 people out in nature together. The first Offline Getaway was held in October 2022. They conducted several more getaways in 2023.
Each group of guests enjoyed a peaceful weekend out in nature, free from digital distractions. Mr. Klok, with his background in chef work, created healthy, and delicious meals for them to enjoy.
Although the Offline Getaways were successful, conducting the events required quite a financial and time investment. It wasn’t long before Mr. Kneppelhout and Mr. van Bennekom began to dream about expanding their mission to the rest of the Netherlands. And the idea for The Offline Club was born.
“We wanted to make it accessible for a larger and wider public,” Mr. Kneppelhout said, “mainly in cities where we live very fast-paced lives, and people barely take time to switch off or slow down.”
The Offline Club
Despite its name, The Offline Club is not a venue or café. Instead, The Offline Club organizes “digital detox hangouts” at existing cafés.Led by two hosts, these hangouts bring people together for 2 to 3 hours. Each event consists of quiet “me time” as well as socialization time. Attendees can journal or read with supplies they’ve brought from home, as well as chat with each other and make new friends. Mr. Kneppelhout explained that the conversation and activities flow “organically.”
Though The Offline Club is very young, with its first event being held in February, it is poised for rapid growth.
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For many, The Offline Club serves as a new and innovative way to make friends. There is no pressure on participants to socialize; the conversation just flows naturally. Many attendees are shy at the beginning of each event, but by the time it’s over, bidding farewell to their newfound friends becomes a little hard.
“We’ve had introverted people who told us that our events are one of the only events where it’s not overwhelming for them to meet new people and to socialize,” Mr. Kneppelhout said.
There are all kinds of people present at each hangout. However, most attendees range in age from 25 to 45. Some are single, and others are couples. Many people over 50 also adore coming to The Offline Club; they’ve remarked that it reminds them of the old days in the Netherlands.
Building a ‘Counter-Movement’
Through their work, the three partners aim to start a “counter-movement” that brings people together and promotes genuine human interaction. And their movement seems to be growing.“People have absolutely loved it,” Mr. Kneppelhout said. “We’ve only gotten such heartwarming and positive responses.”
Still, running the business has not been without its difficulties. Mr. Kneppelhout is very busy; he works full-time in addition to running The Offline Club.
The company has also learned to navigate the delicate balance of not counteracting its mission while promoting itself online. They choose to promote events on Instagram since offline marketing wouldn’t attract the people who need it most.
Tips to Avoid ’the New Smoking’
Describing technology addiction as “the new smoking,” Mr. Kneppelhout is well aware of its lures. As a member of Generation Z, he is ever familiar with the temptations of the internet. He had his first phone at age 11 and was always plugged in thereafter.“I think especially because of that, I’ve just become very conscious that my phone and my digital lifestyle impacts me negatively,” he said.
His experiences with the internet have only strengthened his resolve against technology addiction.
Mr. Kneppelhout has three digital detox tips for those wanting to mitigate screen time: turn off notifications, buy a real alarm clock instead of using a phone, and leave phones at home more often.
With more and more people becoming mindful of the impacts of screen time, the future of “offline getaways” and “digital detox” seems very promising. Thousands are choosing to follow the company’s signature motto: swap screen time for real time.
“We are losing ourselves now in an ocean of distractions that are caused by social media apps, carefully curated and designed by engineers in Silicon Valley to get our attention and take and steal our time,” Mr. Kneppelhout said.
The young team aims to create “a counter-movement” at a time when loneliness and burnout are on the rise and to empower these struggling people to rest and reconnect with their true inner selves.
