Andrew Yang wants you to put your phone away and dance. The 50-year-old Forward Party founder and former presidential candidate is throwing his fifth Offline party in New York on Thursday (09.18.25), aiming to fight America’s loneliness epidemic one beat at a time.
According to USA TODAY, Yang is packing a Midtown nightclub with sweaty dancers, grainy film photos, and a strict “no phones” rule. “Yes, I get on the dance floor too,” he told the publication. “We get together about half as much as we used to. That made me very sad. I think our phones have a lot to do with it.”
Yang, who ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020 and for mayor of New York in 2021, says his mission is to help people reconnect in real life. With surveys showing rising isolation and doomscrolling linked to falling happiness, his formula is simple: free tickets, bagged phones, and booming music.
“It’s very clear that overuse of our screens and social media is making us sadder, not happier. Americans are going through some real struggles right now, but that shouldn’t preclude people from seeking joy.”
Andrew Yang on his No-Phone Parties
The political commentator and author admits he struggles with the same impulses. “Often I’ll come off [my phone] and feel gross,” he said. Yang is not new to nightlife. In his 20s, he ran events under the name Ignition NYC, and he still cues up old-school hip-hop bangers like Ante Up by M.O.P. to soundtrack his Offline gatherings. He hopes the parties inspire people to rediscover community, whether at a book club, barbecue, or block party.
“If you imagine using our phones less, then we might get together in our neighborhood,” he said. “Maybe it wouldn’t be Instagram-worthy, but it would be personal, local and substantial.”
American's are not partying as much
Experts say Yang’s experiment reflects a broader shift in nightlife culture. Author Ed Gillett told USA TODAY that “grassroots culture is as diverse, inventive and creative as ever. Party culture isn’t extinct, but it is changing.” Brooklyn DJ Conrad Taylor, who will spin at this week’s Offline, agrees.
“People don’t want to stand at a table, pay for overpriced bottle service and wake up hungover the next day,” he said. “Party culture isn’t dying, but what worked 10 years ago isn’t working today.”