Headspace urges people to switch off phones and walk together

Headspace is urging people across Denmark to switch off their phones and seek face-to-face connections instead, DR reports. The free and anonymous counselling service for people aged 12 to 25 is organising walks as part of its Sluk sammen campaign.

“We switch off our phones and make room for what often disappears behind the screen. Because although it can give us a lot, it also takes something important away from us,” the campaign says.

Headspace says many young people want to reduce the time they spend on screens. Stine Klemmentsen, a youth counsellor at Headspace Esbjerg, said young people who use the service are aware of their phone use and often want to cut back.

For some, physical social settings can be difficult, or they may have no one to meet in person. Online communities can then offer a way to find company quickly, across many different groups and at any time of day, Klemmentsen said.

New figures from Statistics Denmark show that more than one in four young people spend over six hours a day on private screens outside school hours. Almost half of those aged 20 to 29 say they have neglected leisure activities in order to spend time on screens instead.