SIX THINGS WE LEARNT FROM THE ECHO CHAMBER LIVE

Yesterday Dazed Studio hosted our first Echo Chamber Live format; a live discussion to hear directly from the next generation. We were joined by seven bright minds from across the globe: Evea, Francesco, Lily-Rose, Laiyonelth, Francesca, Kara, and Jahn, who gave us their insights on their social lives and the future of community and connection. 

01

"WE NEED MORE AFFORDABLE THIRD SPACES FOR REAL LIFE CONNECTION"

Evea: "I'd rather go to a house party or supper club with my mutuals than an expensive club with randomers."

From supper clubs, to no-smart-phone concerts & non-smoking smoking areas, to community centres at affordable price-points, our Gen Z panellists were passionate in expressing their desire and conscious effort to connect IRL more. This isn't a discussion about IRL vs URL, it's clear this is about being able to foster meaningful relationships, and offline interactions provide more opportunities for this.

Kara: "There's usually more people in the smoking area than the club to be honest. I wanna sit, talk, catch up with you and hear what's going on in your life."

Equity of access to social spaces was also a topic that produced a general consensus, a point that Lily-Rose raised when speaking about Dazed's recent article about Gen Z being priced out of clubbing. Battersea Arts Centre was a space praised for providing affordable rates for young people to enjoy theatre and music events.

Lily-Rose: "It's so expensive to go clubbing... We don't have enough expendable income, and if we go out, that's £100 or so."

02
 
"WE NEED SOCIAL MEDIA TO HELP FOSTER MORE IRL CONNECTIONS"

Laiyonelth made it clear that although he was trying to cut back on screen-time at the beginning of the year, it had actually increased in the last couple of months - but only because of the need and desire to connect with specific communities online in the aftermath of the U.S. election result and the California wildfires.

Francesco: "There is no distinction between IRL and URL for our generation but the IRL spaces are where you're able to create more meaningful connections."

The respondents recognised a shift to more private and niche social platforms. Kara cited the app CLIQ & Supper Club, and Francesca mentioned Dazed Club (this was a non-paid promotion!), as safe community spaces that allowed them to connect with like-minded people, and ones that felt organised by their peers, rather than by a large tech corporation.

03

"A REBALANCE IS IN ORDER. CHAT GPT AND AI IS MAKING US EVEN MORE LONELY"

Jahn: "Chat GPT is my new therapist... but I'm trying to use it less.'"

AI was a rich and full topic of discussion yesterday, with participants presenting varied views on its impact on society and our ability to connect. Francesca, who is currently a Master's student at Fudan University in Shanghai, highlighted how in Shanghai people are much more excited and willing to adopt changes brought about by AI than in the West.

Francesca: “Here in Asia people are way more open to it, and they are using it as a friend. People are busy, and prefer to stay at home and spend an hour or two talking to this app."

Accordingly, Jahn expressed his own personal story with AI as a type of social support system in his life, but was conscious of the dangers of over reliance on AI systems making it difficult to engage with IRL social situations. Kara echoed this sentiment stating that ultimately it's making us become dependent on these interactions that feel hollow and don't compare to the real thing.

Laiyonelth: "In the current system, we are being pushed towards isolation to some extent, because of the use of AI and AI companions... There is a level of convenience that takes us away from what really matters."

Others were also concerned that the increasing systemic use of AI in our daily lives are making us more withdrawn and more anxious, with Evea and Francesca also speaking of our reliance on AI stemming partially from our own insecurities. Despite being capable of writing an email, have you ever put your faith in Chat GPT rather than having faith in your own abilities?

Evea: "I feel like AI is fostering a culture of insecurity... I know how to formulate sentences, I've been at school for 15 years, I can write coherently, but I'm starting to lack trust in my own ability."

04

"ALL HAIL THE BOARD GAME! BRING BACK CRAFTING AND CREATIVE CLUBS."

An increasing attraction towards truly offline, creative experiences was also evident in the discussion. Kara spoke highly of a chess club she has joined since moving to London, and Laiyonelth is a zealous advocate of the benefits of crafting:

Laiyonelth: "In my free time when I am not busy advocating for social justice, I really enjoy doing yoga and crafting because I feel like those are the only two times when I can really unplug from social media and be present in my thoughts and in my body."

This is something the Dazed Studio team has also noticed in recent months, with the proliferation of run clubs, and burgeoning arts communities, such as Beau Beaus Café, created by Olaolu Slawn and referenced by Evea in the discussion. 

05
 
"WE NEED TO BE ACTIVELY CHOOSING 'INCONVENIENCE' OVER 'CONVENIENCE' IN HOW WE'RE LIVING OUR LIVES"

A particularly interesting insight came from Laiyonelth, who is of Afro-Colombian origin but now resides in Brooklyn, NY. He spoke of the vastly different sense of community that he experiences in Colombia as opposed to that in New York, which he partially attributes to the less "convenient" lifestyle, which is more conducive to in-person interactions on a daily basis. Evea, who was raised in the UK but is of Nigerian origin, similarly echoed this sentiment.

Laiyonelth: "We need to be moving from convenience to inconvenience... We need to tap into the inconvenience of going to the grocery store, having to order food at a restaurant, and feel like we are connecting with people on a daily basis."

06
 
"I WANT TO SEE MORE INTERGENERATIONAL SPACES & I'M INSPIRED BY THE GLOBAL SOUTH"

Many of the panellists mentioned that their friends were travelling or wanting to travel more, particularly to South-East Asia or South America for several months to "find themselves". Western interest in the cultures of those in developing countries has only grown, and the sense of conviviality, warmth and freedom that many of us feel when we listen to popular musical exports from the Global South, such as Burna Boy and Bad Bunny, is evidence of this phenomenon. Are Westerners obsessed with this kind of cultural Third Worldism? Brands should be looking both southwards and eastwards in their cultural calendars.

How can we go further with these in-person experiences? One idea which gained traction in our discussion was that governments and brands should look towards creating more intentionally intergenerational spaces, where the youth could learn from their elders, and the elderly could benefit from a greater sense of community. After all, as Laiyonelth highlighted, it is the young and the old in our current society who are the predominant groups affected by the loneliness epidemic.

Words by Mina Polo and Focus Group Participants.

Published 21 February 2025.

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