Why are people dancing less nowadays?

You’ve likely all seen the clips on social media by now of a dance floor that isn’t actually dancing. No energy, a sea of phones, a static crowd – an almost dystopian scene.

Floods of comments lament the “zombie apocalypse” and complain about the overuse of phones. While there is some truth in phone usage being part of the issue, there are other factors at play.

Here’s why people are dancing less nowadays…

CLUBS & FESTIVALS HAVE BECOME CONTENT FARMS
As damning as that sounds, the increasing commodification of music events means some people view them as places to be “seen”. It’s not to be experienced in the moment – it’s about the dopamine payoff later. This leads to dance floors full of people who aren’t fully engaging with the space. Extracting rather than contributing.

RAVES CAN BE MORE LIKE REUNIONS
Some people treat a night or day out as a chance to reconnect with their friends. With so much isolation and social fragmentation these days, more and more people end up standing around catching up with each other rather than letting loose.

FEAR OF JUDGEMENT
One of the most worrying developments is the culture of shame and judgement that seems to have crept into spaces that are supposed to be safe. The ever-present threat of being filmed and shamed on social media has led to hyper self-awareness and inhibition among ravers. Especially younger ones who have only ever experienced the world with phones and social media.

OVERSTIMULATION OUTSIDE THE DANCE
A lot of endless scrolling means being constantly stimulated and distracted by a range of different media. Borderline burnout or mental fatigue can occur. This makes it much harder to relax, get out of your head and drop into an embodied at-one state.