Haunted by a pile of unread books? Or taunted by climbing equipment lurking in the cupboard? If you are one of the UK adults who spend on average five hours a day looking at screens rather than participating in pastimes, perhaps it’s time to join the offline revolution.

Instead of spending those five hours staring at a screen, you could read about 300 pages of a book, climb Mount Snowdon, or – depending on your pace – run a marathon. Some are even choosing to turn off their devices for the day. On Sunday, more than 1,000 people have pledged to take back control of their downtime and go on a 24-hour digital detox. The event is run by the Offline Club, which says its mission is to “swap screen time for real-time.” Those who have signed up will be invited to a Zoom call on Saturday where they will be given tips and tricks to survive the next day without the internet.

Philip, 33, a branding director from Rotterdam, Netherlands, is among those taking part. Between working behind a desk all day and coming home to watch TV and “doomscroll” on social media, he can spend up to 14 hours a day looking at a screen. “I’m just fed up with them. I thought it might be nice to just give it a try to feel more relaxed. I want to live in the moment a bit more instead of doomscrolling on social media and seeing what other people are doing in their ‘perfect lives.’” Philip wants “more face-to-face interaction and more going on outside.” A full day without relying on navigation apps to get from A to B or staying in constant touch with friends and family will be challenging. But Philip said he was “excited” to participate.

The Offline Club held its first in-person “digital detox hangout” in Amsterdam in February. In the months since, the company has already expanded into Paris, Dubai, and London. In these hangouts, phones are locked away for a few hours and attendees are encouraged to read or interact with each other. Sunday marks the club’s first attempt at a mass mobilisation to get people offline. Ilya Knepnepplhout, the co-founder of the Offline Club, said people have been surprised at how just a few hours offline “made them feel less stressed and more connected to themselves and to those around them.” Knepnepplhout thinks the digital detox movement is just getting started. “We would like to see phone-free spaces in cities and maybe phone-free holidays.”