A matter of pace

This chapter ethnographically investigates the temporal relations that constitute an offline camp experience, where participants surrender all devices and electricity for a week. The camp did not include a structured programme or focused discussions about media consumption. Rather, it created experiences of an ‘other’ temporal pace (which often resulted in boredom). I consider how this offline camp is entangled with visions of a particular present and an alternative future, thereby contesting optimistic narratives of digitalisation and questioning the role of digital technology in everyday life. First, boredom was a result of the camp’s temporal structure and commitment to disconnection. Second, I argue that boredom, although commonly understood as a state ‘where the future isn’t’ ( Brissett & Snow, 1993 ), has the potential for social critique and a future orientation in the context of disconnection. Finally, participation in offline camps might be framed as ‘time tricking’ ( Ringel, 2016b ), whereby actors seek to avoid one future by making another more likely. This chapter’s insights into how digital futures are negotiated and contested in offline camps enrich this volume and unpack moralised notions of the ‘good life’. Its focus on the future also addresses important research gaps in disconnection studies.