Time for a Digital Detox? Anyma May Ban Phones at His Shows

Anyma may soon crack down on the rave community’s newest drug of choice: the smartphone.

It might sound like heresy, but excessive smartphone usage is one of today’s most contentious flashpoints in the global electronic dance music scene. And Anyma’s influential Afterlife brand, whose events regularly go viral due to their mind-bending visual spectacles, is often the focus of the conversation.

The superstar DJ and producer has now taken to social media to test the waters of a no-phone policy at his events. Polling his followers, Anyma shared two comments on his own Instagram post: “YES, BAN PHONES” and “NO, ALLOW PHONES.” At the time of this article’s publication, the former comment has 9,388 likes compared to 1,823 for the latter.

Anyma’s remarks are timely as the pitfalls of gratuitous smartphone usage continue to take shape in the form of new policies and privacy concerns, the likes of which are nascent but becoming more prevalent by the day. While some argue that attendees should be free to use their devices as they please, others bemoan them for provoking a sense of trepidation in those who don’t want to be documented.

The issue isn’t endemic to crowds. A number of prominent dance music artists and venues have taken concerted action, like MEDUZA and James Hype, who in late-2023 launched a campaign to “preserve the authenticity” of club culture by denouncing excessive recording at their co-branded events. Popular electronic music trio Wavedash also discouraged smartphone use by asking fans attending their tour to cover their cameras with stickers blazoning the phrase, “Social media? No thanks.”

Meanwhile, renowned DJ and festival organizer Damian Lazarus recently announced a groundbreaking no-phone policy for his summer residency at the famed Hï Ibiza venue, establishing a new precedent on the fabled Spanish party island. And across the Atlantic, the owners of Miami’s iconic Club Space are laying the groundwork for their first-ever no-phone event.

Whether or not Anyma plans to follow suit remains to be seen, but it’s extremely implausible, at least on a macro scale. He could instate a no-phone policy on a limited basis, but a comprehensive ban would likely throttle the virality of his visuals—the pièce de résistance of his concerts—and atrophy his brand’s authority in the live music space.

Check out Anyma’s post below.

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