• 30,000 Bottles of Fine Wine Worth £4 Million Stolen in Italy in Suspected Biggest Winery Heist in the Country’s History

  Italy has been hit by what is believed to be the biggest winery heist in the country’s history, with a gang of professional thieves making off with around 30,000 bottles of fine wine worth an estimated £4 million...

• Why Do Billionaires Have So Many Children If They Aren’t Prepared to Raise Them Themselves?

  Kim Kardashian’s admission that five nannies help care for her four children has sparked an uproar. But among the ultrawealthy, there are far more extreme approaches to parenthood, The Guardian reports...

• Silicon Valley Billionaires Want to Reverse Aging: First Human Trial Offers Encouraging Signs

  Jeff Bezos, Peter Thiel, Yuri Milner and Sam Altman are investing in one of the most ambitious areas of modern biotechnology: cellular reprogramming. Scientists hope the technology will allow aging cells to return to a more youthful state and, eventually, help combat a wide range of age-related diseases. The first clinical trial of the approach in humans is now underway, and preliminary findings look promising, Business Insider reports...

• “I Gave Up All Other Women for You”: Ex-Husband’s List of ‘Sacrifices’ Sends Social Media Into a Frenzy

  But that was far from the end of it. His list contained another 15 complaints, including giving up “normal conversations with multiple women,” having to save money that he could otherwise have spent on himself and, most bafflingly of all, “acting like an asshole.”..

• “AI Will Destroy Humanity”: Inside the Secretive World of Americans Preparing for the End of the World

  While some people dismiss talk of the end of the world as fantasy, others are spending thousands of dollars preparing for disaster. American “preppers” stockpile food, water, energy sources and everything else they might need in the event of hurricanes, pandemics, cyberattacks, economic collapse or even an artificial intelligence uprising, the New York Post reports...

• “I Cheat on My Wife with Prostitutes”: Influencer’s Wife Hacks His Account and Sparks a Public Scandal

  Australian fitness influencer George Armstrong found himself at the center of a viral scandal after shocking messages about his alleged infidelity appeared on his verified Instagram account...

• Napoleon’s Secret Revealed After 217 Years: AI Cracks the Emperor’s Mysterious Code

  More than 200 years later, a coded letter written during the Napoleonic Wars has finally been deciphered, according to the New York Post...

• ‘A Mustang Full of Testosterone’: Man Describes Meeting Jesus After 18 Days in a Coma

  An American man who claims to have met Jesus after spending 18 days in a coma described him as a man who stood “about six feet tall, but as tall as eternity” and compared him to “a Mustang overflowing with testosterone.”..

Logging off has become the latest status symbol. In a world where dating, music discovery, and the constant flow of information are largely controlled by algorithms, a growing movement is encouraging people to return to face-to-face interactions—where chance encounters, serendipity, and old-fashioned networking are still possible, writes BI.

Offline as the New Social Currency

The phrase “offline is the new luxury” has quietly gained traction on social media over the past few years. Some users share it alongside photos from exotic vacations, while others speculate that the ultra-wealthy may soon abandon social platforms and smartphones entirely in favor of living offline.

Digital minimalism is on the rise: people are posting fewer photos online and keeping more of their lives private. Comedian Aziz Ansari, in a recent podcast, described staying away from chatbots (including ChatGPT), using a flip phone, and avoiding email—practices that, he says, give him “more space to think.”

Of course, for most working adults who pay bills and answer to bosses, ditching email and going back to a flip phone isn’t feasible. But the offline movement is gaining momentum, with people actively seeking real-life connections.

“Going offline for a week is now the ultimate investment—and a luxury choice,” says Andrew Roth, founder of Offline, a platform that helps real-world communities engage with brands and events. “For those who can afford it, it’s a deliberate choice—a new cultural gateway to luxury.”

Why People Are Turning Away from Apps

Dating apps and social networks once reduced the cost of finding each other: free connections and genuine matches. Pew Research Center data from 2023 shows that about 10% of adults in serious relationships met through dating apps. But in recent years, many platforms have lost their appeal: paid subscriptions, lower visibility, and algorithmic frustrations have driven people away.

Trends like “Sit at the Bar September” and “Off the Apps October” encourage singles to seek offline experiences. Meanwhile, platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X are saturated with AI-generated content, and new apps like Sora or Meta Vibes rely heavily on AI.

The Rise of Real-World Experiences

Offline-focused apps are experiencing a renaissance. 222, a subscription-based service that curates in-person events for strangers, markets itself with the slogan “offline is the new luxury”. Founder Keyan Kazemian says the app has raised $3.6 million, hosted thousands of events, and attracts hundreds of thousands of participants.

Other players include Timeleft (dinners with strangers), Pie (interest-based groups for books, wellness, and more), and various speed-dating startups. Kanso offers phone-free meetups, branding itself for “those meant for something more.” Participants leave their devices behind and spend hours engaging with new people.

Founder Randy Ginsburg compares digital detoxes to other wellness habits: “You need education, support, and accountability to make these practices stick. The same applies to how we interact with technology and our phones.”

Follow NEWS.am STYLE on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram