Switch Off, Play On! Pop-up Play Cafe

What’s on offer?

An exclusive, week-long, pop-up event, come and join us at our friendly play café to explore our library of games, puzzles and toys aimed at encouraging families and friends to switch off their phones and rediscover the joy of connecting over a traditional board game or simple play experiences.

What’s it about?

Since its development in the early 1990’s, the internet has become highly pervasive across most of the civilised world. While the majority of internet users take advantage of its many positive uses (including professional and recreational ones), some individuals can develop Problematic Use of the Internet (PUI). This term encompasses a wide range of repetitive disabling behaviours characterised by compulsivity and addiction, including but not limited to internet gaming, compulsive online sexual behaviours/cyberpornography, internet-related buying or shopping disorder, internet-related gambling disorder, cyberbullying, cyberchondria, and social media/network forum use, among others. Using Herts-led research, this special, week-long public engagement event aims to raise awareness of PUI, while promoting ways for us all to develop healthier behaviour around how we use and interact with digital technology.        

Who’s leading the event?

The event is based on the Learning to deal with Problematic Usage of the Internet publication by Naomi Fineberg, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Hertfordshire and Bernardo Dell’Osso, MD is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Milan, which is based upon work from COST Action CA 16207, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology), linked to the Project “European Research Network into Problematic Usage of the Internet” (EU-PUI) and funded by the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme of the European Union in collaboration with: the International College of Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (ICOCS) and the Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders Research Network (OCRN) of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP), and the Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Scientific Section of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA).

Open to

Public Audience - all ages

Of particular interest to

The event will be of interest and useful for the general public, irrespective of age, background or profession.

Scheduling information

This event will be open to the public from Tuesday, 29 October, 11am-4pm, Wednesday 30th October 1pm-4pm; Thursday to Saturday 2 November, 11am-4pm. There will be a bookable SEN session on Wednesday 30 October, 10am-12pm.

Event booking deadline

Booking for the SEN session on Wednesday 30 October, 10am-12pm, will close half an hour before the event commences or or when at full capacity