Showerthought: I got called out for being a laptop hermit at my local spot

For years, I'd camp at The Daily Grind in Portland with my laptop, headphones on, thinking I was being a good customer by just buying coffee and staying quiet. Last month, a regular I'd seen for ages finally said, 'You know, this place feels like a library sometimes because half of us are hiding behind screens.' It hit me hard. I started leaving my laptop at home two days a week, just bringing a book or a notepad. In the last six weeks, I've had three real conversations with people I'd only ever nodded at before. Has anyone else tried cutting back on screen time in cafes and noticed a different vibe?

3 comments

3 Comments

lunaf672d ago

Oh man, I read this article about "third places" and how screens kinda kill the social glue. It said when everyone's zoned into a device, the whole point of a shared space just disappears. Your story is like a perfect example of that.

elliot_patel2d ago

Notice the regular didn't actually call you out. They just shared a feeling about the cafe's vibe. You took it personally and changed your habits, which is cool, but they might not have meant it as criticism.

lee_reed2d ago

Portland's Daily Grind is a cafe, not a co-working space, so that regular had a point.