Here’s how Gen Z is stepping away from the screens
It’s not news that young people are feeling isolated. As Oxfam reported earlier this year, nearly half (47%) of Gen Z consider themselves to be lonely – a condition that has been linked to increased screen time. In fact, it seems the rise of social media has made us all less social…
This has also been exacerbated by complaints about the lack of third spaces across London, places to hang out other than home or work (think: Central Perk in Friends). It seems that while Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Ross, Joey and Phoebe could always rely on seeing each other any given day in their go-to cafe, Londoners are finding it hard to meet up for a pre-arranged dinner that’s been in the diary for five months.
However, it seems things are changing and young people are taking a stand. As reported by The Financial Times, Gen Z is starting to spend less time on their phones and some people are tackling the issue of screen time isolation by creating IRL community groups. Here are some of the most innovative ones popping up in London right now.
Chess Clubs
There are impressive IRL chess communities to found on Brick Lane and in Deptford. Every Tuesday at 6:30 at Cafe 1001, experts and beginners alike meet to compete in the strategic game at Knight Club Chess. It seems Tuesday is the chess day as Deptford Lounge runs a monthly Tuesday chess club – again encouraging people of all skill levels to give chess a go. If a weeknight game isn’t for you, play at the weekend at the London Chess Club, which has a weekly Sunday meeting.
Mahjong
And chess isn’t the only board game taking over London – mahjong, dubbed the new ‘hottest pastime’ by Town & Country, has arrived and it’s here to stay. The Peninsula Hotel hosted a Mahjong event in September and the London-based Four Winds Mahjong club meet regularly throughout the year.
Book Clubs
If it’s good enough for Dua Lipa, it’s good enough for us. There’s been a resurgence of book clubs in the past few years, with clubs run by popstars and athletes alike. Groups such as Rebel Book Club and Cosy London Book Club have popped up all over the capital, encouraging monthly reading, intellectual chats, and even day trips to popular literary areas such as Bath.
Walking Groups
A scroll through Instagram will show you that run clubs are being positioned as the wellness industry’s antidote to clubbing. If running is still too high energy for you, walking groups are also taking off in the capital. The rise of the Hot Girl Walk has prompted clubs such as thegirlsthatwalk to emerge, getting together for a coffee, a walk, and a good old chit-chat. However, it’s not just walking within London that’s on the rise – groups like Overground are meeting at Victoria Station and taking trains to London’s outskirts together to make the most of the countryside in Surrey, Kent, and beyond.
Listening Parties
Listening bars have been on the rise for a few years now, and listening parties are also on the up. NT’s Loft has been doing candlelit listening sessions featuring album playbacks from the likes of SAULT, Frank Ocean, Fred Again, and Solange, and we’ve been to a couple of Meet in the Midi events where artists like Skream and Cleo Sol have been spotlighted.
Mending Clothes
As well as being a screen-free activity, mending workshops also tick sustainability and budget boxes as clothes get a second life and you end up buying less new ones. Dalston’s Positive Retail has hosted mending workshops in the past, the Monday Mending Club runs at Big Penny Social in Walthamstow every week, and Andrea Cheong, one of our 2025 Heroes, runs The Sewn Assembly, social fashion workshops that teach people how to mend, customise and even make clothes from scratch.
Supper Clubs
Supper clubs may not be new but that doesn’t mean they’re not popular. From supper clubs for singles, like Soul Plates, to events that champion displaced communities like SUP?, run by another of our 2025 Heroes Mahnoor, there really is a supper club for everyone.
Scream Clubs
After going viral in the US, scream clubs – where you literally meet up and scream really loud – have landed in London. London Scream Club hosts regular meet-ups in Hyde Park, giving people a space to release everything they’ve been holding in. As well as acting a stress reliever, the clubs also give people a chance to meet and connect in a way that doesn’t involve spending money.
