People say phones ruin clubbing - but more than half still use them on the dancefloor

More than half of clubbers think smartphones are ruining the clubbing experience, a new study has revealed. 

A survey of 2,000 adults in the UK in October, commissioned by Meta and conducted by Censuswide, found that over 50% of people attending nightclubs agree that phones are ruining the experience, despite 55% of them admitting to using their phone on the dancefloor, according to NME. 

The study also found that 60% of people use their phones to take pictures and videos of themselves and their friends dancing. 34% said they use their phones to share content on social media and communicate with friends.

When asked what makes clubbing special, the top response was the music at 47%, while 43% said it was dancing with friends, and 31% said it’s all about getting lost in the moment.  

Image: Mantas Hesthaven / Pexels.com 

Whether or not phones should be on the dancefloor has been a hot topic for a while, with many clubs, such as Amber’s and The Warehouse Project’s Concourse-only events in Manchester and Pikes Ibiza, recently enforcing no-phones policies and artists banning phones from their live shows.

No-phones policies have been in place in some clubs for years now, such as clubs Fabric and Fold in London.

Similarly, an International Music Summit survey earlier this year found that 61% of emerging DJs felt social media numbers were more important than skill, highlighting how phones and social media play a key role in modern-day clubbing. 

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Header image credit: Mete Kaan Özdilek / Pexels.com