Journal
The weekly look at phone-free culture.
New writing every Friday — on attention, atmosphere, and the rooms that are getting it back. No feed, no social posts, no email popup. Just the long form.
Why the loudest rooms are getting quieter
The audience isn't checking out — they're checking in. A look at why phone-free is becoming the new loud, and the venues that are getting ahead of it.
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Pouches punish. Rewards earn.
Yondr-style pouches fix the problem, but at a cost no promoter wants to absorb. The case for a voluntary, reward-led phone-free window — and the data starting to back it up.
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Dublin Comedy Festival — what we learned from week one
Three nights, four comedians, one CellFree window per set. The numbers that surprised us, the questions fans actually asked, and the one thing we'll change for week two.
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The hidden economy of being present
Presale codes, exclusive Drops, guest lists, aftershows, setlist drops — the artist-side case for treating the headline set like the encore. The numbers, with caveats.
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Why comedy might be the first vertical to go phone-free
Material leaks, joke spoiling, the open mic economy — comedy has more to lose from cameras than any other genre. The Dublin pilot is showing why.
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CellFreeFriday
Our weekly editorial slot. New writing drops every Friday — a single piece, long enough to be worth your attention. No listicle, no roundup, no email capture.
See this week's CellFreeFriday