November 1, 2025

NYC Off Tech — NOVEMBER

Academic conferences and performance art—public debates with room for nuance—more deletion—& attention to our earthly nature

Events to transcend the screen life

Happy Halloween, friends—and happy November!

With more events coming in, I’ve decided to divide this month’s calendar into three categories: one-off, weekly, and month-long. Be sure to check out each section.

I was catching up with a mentor this past Wednesday, reflecting on all the excitement that October brought—catharsis in the park, serendipity in the streets, and so many allies finding each other. I said something about how fast everything's moving, and she stopped me short.

"Nick, that's what happens when people have agency!"

Agency's become one of those buzzwords; we use it quite often when we talk about tech and behavior. But what do we really mean? Another person I admire put it like this recently: the capacity to imagine something, choose it, then move towards it.

Our community here, which this bulletin offers just a humble glimpse of, is modeling just that. Each event shared below is an exercise in this imaginative action—moving decisively towards a better place, far beyond the Big Tech brainfog—and full of kinetic energy.

There's something for everyone here in NYC, whether you're new to tech resistance or a lifelong digital minimalist. Maybe you’re excited by artistic interventions, or perhaps your vibe is more like the Kanso, Yang, or Reconnect no-phone crowds. It's all about this: protecting your power to choose your most fulfilling life.

See you out there—

—Nick

All events are free, public, & participatory!

Reach out with more events or ideas!

(or scroll to the bottom to unsubscribe)

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November events

Sat., Nov. 1 | RETOOLING @ 1 p.m., Madison Square Park

RETOOLING workshops allow participants to explore their relationship to tools old and new. Through group practices and guided discussions, we discover existing alternatives that better suit our needs and build new tools from scratch.

​In this edition, we’ll imagine new routines in our lives that help us become less dependent on our smartphones.

RSVP here.

Sun., Nov. 2 | SoRA Attention Lab "COALITION" @ 12:30 p.m., DUMBO

The School of Radical Attention’s flagship “Attention Labs” are experiential, participatory workshops dedicated to the joint exploration of human attention. Through group attention practices and guided discussions, we create and test tools to rebuild the art of sustained attention, which has been under attack by persuasive technologies.

This lab’s focus is COALITION: to work together to liberate our attention across our communities.

Sign up for any session here.

See the full Nov. schedule below—

Sun, Nov. 2 | Intentional Tech Use: Community Discussion @ 2 p.m., XRoads Cafe Bushwick

To what extent is intentional tech use possible?

Facilitated by Logina Mostafa (Founder/Director of Queering Existentialism) and Connor Griffin (Study Corps at SoRA), this open conversation will cover the nuances in how we talk about social media and AI.

Through dialogue, reflection, and collaborative imagining, we’ll hold space for complexity—acknowledging both the harm and the potential of tech as we explore how we, as individuals participating in cultural change, might ethically and sustainably engage with digital tech. Be prepared for disagreements!

RSVP here.

Thurs., Nov. 6 | You Don’t Need a Smartphone @ 3 p.m., Wash. Sq. Park

Writer August Lamm & friends will be handing out pamphlets on reclaiming your life from addictive tech.

Stop by and talk to us if you’re at all curious about downgrading your hardware or experimenting with alternatives.

Thurs., Nov. 6 | PSYCHIATRIST & SNACKS @ 7 p.m., Bushwick

Join for the guessing game psychiatrist. Bring snacks and friends—the more players, the better.

Hosted by Rebecca Lipsitch, who curates connection through public-space events and play with groups like How Do We Play and Street Lab.

Email rebecca.lipsitch@gmail.com to join!

Fri., Nov. 7 | New Luddism: Technology and Resistance in the Modern Workplace, All Day @ Columbia University

How can the 19th century history of the Luddites help us understand contemporary resistance to workplace technology? What does New Luddism look like on the ground? As an analytic framework, what are its strengths and weaknesses for understanding the current state of labor, worker resistance, and the tech industry?

This one-day conference at Columbia will bring together an interdisciplinary group of scholars from sociology, economics, history, and other disciplines, as well as journalists, organizers, and workers with firsthand knowledge of the implementation of new technologies in the workplace.

Conference speakers include Dr. Donald MacKenzie, Dr. Veena Dubal, Dr. Jathan Sadowski, Dr. Gavin Mueller, Dr. Chris Wiggins, Brian Merchant, and other researchers, workers, and critics.

Fri., Nov. 7 | Beaver Moon Party @ 7 p.m., Park Slope

Harvest feast at 7, full moon ritual at 8:00. Bring an offering of a favorite childhood snack.

Hosted monthly by Kyle Barnes. Email kyletuhr@gmail.com for address.

Sat., Nov. 8 | ScreenMime @ 2 p.m., 5th Avenue Apple Store

A group of mimes will be scrolling nonstop from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in front of the flagship Apple store.

Stop by & say hello, or come join the fun yourself!

If you’re interested in helping set up, or if you’d like to be a part of the performance, email Dan: danmaxfox@gmail.com.

Sun., Nov. 9 | M.A.2G.L.A.R.&O! @ 1 p.m., Crown Heights

MA2GLAR&O! is learning as play. We will read a brief text and respond with some fun activities.

This month’s focus is SCREENSHOTS. We’ll explore the role of screenshots on our devices—and what it’s like to take a screenshot in ‘real life.’

Email knavehaven@pm.me with subject line “maglaro” to join.

(This series’ name comes from maglaro, which means “playground” in Tagalog.)

Tues., Nov. 11 | Study Corps: Poetry Intervention @ 7 p.m., Rockefeller Center

We’ll be close reading a poem in public … with the help of strangers.

An experimental session by SoRA’s new Study Corps.

Email griffin75006@proton.me for a spot!

Fri., Nov. 14 | SHOULD WE GET OFF? @ 7 p.m., Location TBA

We all know that we use our phones too much. We loathe Big Tech's human-fracking business models. And we all agree social media is horribly enshittified. But there’s still some debate as to how we'll get out of this mess.

Countless are going with full-on account deletion, and many are migrating to alternative hardware, reducing the role of a cellphone in their lives. Some promote detoxes instead, and others say literacy is enough for now.

Join this public discussion with thinkers, organizers, and influencers in this growing movement against Big Tech.

More info to come, but expect folks like Appstinence, the Opt Out Project, Lamp, Half the Story, and Adam Aleksic ("The Etymology Nerd").

Sat., Nov. 15 | BE A NEW YORKER 101 @ 2 p.m., Tompkins Sq. Park

Lamp Club is introducing a pro-social alternative to addictive digital media by introducing a better street-life culture, which will de-alienate the neighborhood and help us create interdependent friendships and networks.

Now more than ever, new New Yorkers need to know how to live in the city that hosts all cultures of the world. The spirit of New York is in turmoil amongst the dull gentrification of historical neighborhoods, automated dining experiences, uninspired art students in debt, and the further isolation of individuals in a city that could connect us all.

STUDENTS WILL LEARN more about the neighborhood they’ve chosen to live in, and how they can play a different role in it than what society might be pulling them into. Conversation topics will include finding a sense of belonging, gentrification, shopping local, talking to neighbors, speaking up about issues, and gathering in public space. 

For more information, contact LampClub@proton.me.

Sun., Nov. 16 | DELETE DAY PHILLY @ 4 p.m., Philadelphia

The second U.S. stop of the Time to Refuse campaign is Philadelphia!

If you happen to be in the area, or if you want to make the trip down for a deletion x Eagles double whammy, reach out to Mark: mark.bernstiel@gmail.com.

Don't worry if you missed out on these first two—more Delete Days to come. (Or host your own!)

Tues., Nov 18 | Passion Party: Parallel Play @ 6 p.m., Bushwick

Work on your passion projects alongside curious & creative people! Bring something fun (not work/school related): writing, coding, painting—whatever excites you.

Format: Intros → Focused work → Optional show & tell

Hosted by Rebecca Lipsitch, who curates connection through public-space events and play with groups like How Do We Play and Street Lab.

Email rebecca.lipsitch@gmail.com to join!

Wed., Nov. 19 | SoRA TRAIN-the-TRAINER @ 6:30 p.m., DUMBO

The School of Radical Attention offers facilitation training for anyone in our community interested in leading attention practices, hosting intentional events, and becoming more comfortable with public speaking.

This is a GREAT way to pick up some skills and identify some ways you might contribute to the Movement.

Sign up for this or any session here.

Questions to peter@sustainedattention.net. 

Thurs., Nov. 20 | Offline Book Club: FILTERWORLD @ 6:30 p.m., Stavros Library (SNFL) 4th Floor, Room 405

SNFL’s Offline Book Club is a space for in-person conversation about the role technology plays in our world. Each month highlights a different book on the topic of technology’s impact on our individual lives as well as society as a whole, followed by an open discussion to share recent experiences and observations.

This month, we’re focusing on Filterworld by Kyle Chayka (2024) → a book about how algorithmic recommendations have taken over, and “flattened” our cultural distribution in the last decade.

Space is limited. Walk-ins welcome, but priority will be given to those who register in advance: https://www.nypl.org/events/programs/2025/11/20/offline-book-club-filterworld.

Sun., Nov. 23 | ‘Monthly Molting’ Ecology Workshop @ 1 p.m., Prospect Park

In Monthly Moltings, join us to shed our human-centered perspectives and investigate the intimate lives of nonhumans in NYC. Each month, we’ll reflect and learn from the wisdom of how one species changes and adapts to change as autumn arrives.

Our November edition highlights the Ginkgo Biloba—living fossil, golden carpet weaver, survivor of ice ages.

​Come explore the lessons these fan-leafed time travelers have for our own lives as we consider what it means to endure and transform.

Hosted by Chimeras Collective.

Fri., Nov. 28 | BUY NOTHING DAY @ Tompkins Sq. Park

Buy Nothing Day is a nationwide response to Black Friday, and we’ll be celebrating it in public. With music by Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir, public poetry, group activities, and economic/ housing resource tables, we will rejoice in spontaneous community.

See how it feels not to be a consumer for a day, and hear from Village locals about the good old days of self-sufficiency.

Contact cowboyscience@proton.me for more details. 

TBD in Nov. | Reconnect Phone-Free Social Events

We are looking for more event pitches! Our inbox is open; send us a brief 4-sentence summary and potential dates/locations—nycreconnectclub@gmail.com. This is your chance to experiment with ideas big or small. The only stipulation is that we designate a Phone Valet at the entrance.

If it’s a good fit, our team will help you execute your plan.

Fill out the interest form to stay up to date with the Reconnect schedule.

Sat., Dec. 6 | Spotify Deletion Dance Party @ Boshi’s Place, East Williamsburg

DELETE your account & DANCE with each other.

There will be resources on site to help you successfully deplatform your music streaming and moving into more sustainable alternatives.

Bring an instrument if you play one.

TBD in Dec. | Zing Launch Event

You’re invited to test out a new tool that helps you physically disconnect from your devices—think leaving them at home for long periods. More soon.

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Weekly resources

Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22 … | McGolrick Park Bird Club, every Saturday @ 9 a.m.

The Bird Club seeks to bridge the gap between the small community of birders and open-minded individuals who wish to experience the benefits of reconnecting with the natural world. (Birders have had a major influence on resistance to the attention economy!)

Learn more here: https://mcgolrickpark.org/mcgolrick-bird-club.

Nov. 3, 10, 17, 24 | Awareness-Building Meditation, Mondays in Crown Heights

We live in an era where everyone is categorizing each other, and themselves. And it’s not just the algorithms. It’s something inherent in our nature that has been amplified, that has existed for a long time within any human interaction. We want to understand ourselves, the moment we’re in, and we have so many people with “solutions,” “answers.” So why are we still lost? Maybe we aren’t asking the right questions.

I (Phil) ask: What does it mean to be connected in these times?

Spending less time scrolling is just a small piece of the work we need to do. Our meditation group is cultivating a richer sense of awareness together—space and clarity between thoughts, which leads to deeper connections and higher agency.

We meet every Monday at 7 p.m. Join for one session or for all of them—email Phil: nguy.philip@gmail.com.

Nov. 4, 18, 25 | BYOB: Bring Your Own Book, Tuesdays @ 7:00 p.m., Crown Heights

Join for an hour of silent reading after a brief group exercise. We’re interested in reading as a way to nourish our attention and deepen our sense of humanity. And sometimes we also just need an excuse to read more. Bring a book!

Facilitated by Connor Griffin, an educator and organizer working to help people expand their attentional capacity. Email griffin75006@proton.me for a spot.

Nov. 6, 9, 13, 16 … | Appstinence Office Hours, Thursdays & Sundays online

Drop in for FREE personal guidance on reclaiming your life from extractive tech. Get the low-down on de-platforming and using alternative devices; discover how to fill newly won free time (yay!), and learn ways to talk about all this with your friends and family.

Thursdays at 7 p.m. & Sundays at 1 p.m. EST: www.appstinence.org/appstinenceacademy.

To get on the list, email henry_m@appstinence.org.

Nov. 12, 19, 26 | SoRA Attention Activism 101, Wednesdays @ 8:00 p.m., online

Attention is the touchstone problem of our age. Over the last twenty years, an unprecedented concentration of technological and financial power has successfully monetized human attention. The harms of this new system—in effect, the "fracking" of our most intimate selves—are familiar to all. Less widely understood is the nature of the movement that has emerged to fight back against this historic injustice: ATTENTION ACTIVISM.

In this course, we will survey the intellectual and practical foundations of the nascent ATTENTION ACTIVISM movement. We'll draw on texts by William James, Shoshana Zuboff, and Tim Wu among others. What do the extractive incursions of the Attention Economy mean for shared life in the twenty-first century—and how are communities of activists already working to resist them?

Sign up at https://www.schoolofattention.org/enroll/.

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Month-long opportunities

All of Nov. | NoSo November Challenge

On your way to getting off addictive tech for good, you might consider this month-long community challenge. Thousands across the country are quitting social media and AI platforms for at least the full month of November.

Learn more, and commit to it at https://www.nosonovember.org/join.

All of Nov. | Talk to Phil, not an LLM

Sometimes we get stuck in life, and it can be difficult to identify why. No matter the reason, it’s often helpful to talk about it with another person. That’s what I’d like to offer: an open, curious presence, one that helps you better understand yourself and your relationship to the situation you find yourself in.

In these Reflection Sessions, I’ll listen closely, ask questions, make suggestions, and invite different perspectives (ranging from Buddhist thought and practice to lines of poetry) into the conversation.

Why not “chat” with a LLM or read more self-help books instead? My tentative answer is this: shared presence and conversation with another human offers the possibility of deeper nourishment. I haven’t quite figured out how to articulate why this is the case, but it has something to do with the joint exploration, the courage it takes to open up to someone who may challenge you while supporting you within the challenge. Only people can offer this to one another.

Email Phil to set up a free session: nguy.philip@gmail.com.

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