Is Gen Z Lost Without Their Phones at Concerts?

Zoe Kakanakis '27

Phoebe Bridgers’s The Lost Tour kicked off in September, marking her first tour since 2023.  However, something made this stand out from her previous concerts: a strict no phones rule.

Bridgers has banned all recording devices from her concerts, including phones, cameras, smart watches—basically anything that can record an audio or video. Fans attending her shows have to lock up their devices in Yondr pouches upon entry to the venue. 

This is a very controversial rule, and has sparked discourse all over social media. Some people have expressed excitement to live in the moment, without care for their electronics. Others, on the other hand, are outraged at the inability to record, and at the potential safety concerns that come with such phone restrictions.

This begs the question: why is it okay when phones are banned at Broadway plays, operas, and ballet performances, but not concerts? At these events, “no phones” has been the unchallenged reality for years, so why are people now so suddenly dependent on their devices?  Is it really about safety, or are people just mad they can’t post every moment of their lives on social media?  

Bridgers herself said that the one thing she never enjoyed about touring was how “dystopian” it felt when people would shove cameras in her face. In this case, no phones seems like the perfect solution, right? 

I think so. As an avid concert-goer, I can say that the raw emotion and energy at Bridgers’ Brooklyn show (at the Barclays Center) was incomparable to anything I’ve ever seen.

During her last song, “Scott Street,” she turned the lights on, illuminating the arena so that everyone could see each other. I remember looking around the arena, tears streaming down my face, just watching thousands of people wave their arms to the song, and really feeling the music in their souls.

Her encore, and the concert as a whole, was a truly magical experience, and I am happy that I wasn’t distracted by my phone.

And for those who fear they have a bad memory, don’t worry. Many fans have taken to drawing “still moments” from the show. In this way, people get to exercise their creative abilities, and it gives them something feasible—something that’s not an Instagram story, or a TikTok video—to look back on. So let’s put our phones away, and enjoy the moment.