Fix Your Phone
During Museum Night 2024 we disconnected from our phones. Visitors could stop by Waag Futurelab to visit the Fix Your Phone Shop, where you could get your phone fixed by taking a critical look at your phone's apps, hardware, operating system and cloud connections. The ‘Detox Dice’ dice game challenged you to delete unnecessary group chats or turn off your notifications. Also popular was the ‘Kill Your Phone’ case that blocks all radiation to and from your phone, which people could craft themselves using special fabric and coloured tape.
Want to make a Kill Your Phone case too? The instructions are openly available here!
Meditating, embroidering and detoxing
There were also other methods to break away from your smartphone. During a digital meditation session led by Marit Hoefsloot, you were made aware of the mental and sensory impact of your mobile phone on your body. You could also capture your data use on canvas during a fun embroidery session, which many participants were very enthusiastic about. There was a ‘design your own 3D emoji’ workshop where emoji appreciators could develop their 3D design skills. Finally, you could visit the one and only Digital Detox bar for delicious drinks.
Opening up the mobile eco-system
During this museum night, we helped some 1,200 people on their way to a healthier relationship with their smartphones. Our workshops and displays provided many people with new insights and questions. How do I ensure better privacy? How do I escape the monopoly of Google and Apple, among others? And in what ways can I use my phone more sustainably? We will further answer these questions by testing a new prototype designed as openly and ethically as possible within the Mobifree project. Would you like to help us? We are still looking for testers!
