The Benefits of Limiting Phone Use: My Experience at System Overload

Relentless Beats recently hosted the premier of a new two-day festival called System Overload. The robot-themed event drew in epic artists like Liquid Stranger, Slander, and Wooli. It was held at Rawhide Event Center on February 27th and 28th, an epic beginning to a new festival.

I have been suffering from social anxiety for the last couple of years and needed a way to open up at festivals. I began with giving out trinkets and Kandi to strangers (new friends) at Decadence, which really helped me break out of my shell. I continued this same pattern for the first day of System Overload. However, I decided to mix things up on Day Two by limiting phone use as much as possible. The only times I used it was to record a brief video during Canabliss‘ set and capture/locate my rave fam’s spot in the crowd. Other than that, I was off of my phone completely.

I fought through (and overcame) brief moments of anxiety. Instead of pulling out my phone, I danced along with my rave fam or looked for someone to give trinkets to. I was also more immersed in the music than usual, cementing memories that would otherwise be taken up by phone use. One of my favorites is when I dropped a tiny trinket on the ground and desperately looked for it. Numerous crowd members helped me search, with one person asking me “what are were looking for?” The image of several ravers looking for a tiny trinket in a circle of phone flashlights is hilarious and a core memory.

I was also more receptive to compliments, which lead to making additional connections. I wore a Mudkip (Pokemon) perler and a perler of Zero, the ghost dog from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Both of these were immensely popular and made me new friends in the crowd. Staying off of your phone also makes you more aware of your surroundings. You can respond quickly to the needs of your rave fam or anyone in the crowd who needs assistance. Things can change in an instant and it is best to be conscious of what is going on around you. Lastly, reducing phone use avoids the distraction of trying to capture the ‘best’ videos during a set, in addition to reducing the chance of phone theft.

Reducing phone usage during shows is a great remedy for social anxiety and a way to build closer connections with your friends or potential new friends in the crowd. Focusing on the music leads to a more memorable and immersive experience with reduced distractions. Awareness of your surroundings helps you spring into action at a moment’s notice. It is a challenge, but try out reducing/restricting phone usage at your next event. Happy Raving!!

Connect with Liquid Stranger: Facebook | Instagram | X | Spotify | SoundCloud

Connect with Canabliss: Facebook | Instagram | X | Spotify | SoundCloud