The Event Scene in a Digital Age: From Feeling to Framing

The Event Scene in a Digital Age: From Feeling to Framing

There was a time when attending an event meant disappearing from the world. The music, the people, the vibe — it was all about now. No phones, no pressure, no proof. Just presence.

Fast forward to today, and everything has changed.

We live in an age where every beat is documented, every dance move can become content, and the line between real and curated experience is blurrier than ever.

So what exactly have we lost — and what can we regain?

The 90s: When Events Were Escapes

In the 1990s, going to a rave or festival meant stepping into another universe. People didn’t care how they looked. You could lose yourself in the music without worrying who was watching. It was about shared energy, raw emotion, and total freedom.

• You didn’t go to be seen. You went to feel.

• Disposable cameras were rare and even then, they were for personal memories, not online sharing.

• If you danced all night with someone, they might remain a beautiful stranger forever. That was the magic.

• The moment was sacred. The outside world didn’t exist.

For many, it was a kind of therapy — a release from routine, pressure, and expectation.

Today: From Connection to Curation

In contrast, today’s event culture has become hyper-visual and hyper-connected.

• Phones light up the crowd more than lasers.

• People enter events already thinking about content: “Where’s the best photo spot?”

  “How’s the lighting for my Story?”

• Dancing becomes performance. Presence becomes pressure.

Where once we sought freedom, many now feel the quiet weight of being watched — not just by others in the crowd, but by everyone who’ll see the footage later.

And here's the real question:

“Do you record a video to remember the moment, or to prove you were there?”

Sonder Survey: The Emotional Shift Is Real

To understand how people feel about this shift, we asked our own community.

• A strong 72% of respondents said they believe events in the past were more about pure experience

  than today.

• Many described today’s events as “performative,” “over-documented,” and “visually overwhelming.”

• Others admitted they hold back when dancing, afraid of ending up on social media without consent.

It’s not just nostalgia. It’s a real, emotional shift.

What’s Missing in the Noise

We’ve traded presence for presentation.

And in doing so, we’ve lost:

• Spontaneity

• Emotional safety

• Freedom of expression

• The magic of not caring

People no longer feel invisible in the best way — they feel exposed, even in moments that should be private and freeing.

The Sonder Vision: Bring Back the Feeling

At Sonder, we don’t reject technology — but we do believe the soul of events should come first.

That’s why we support a new kind of event experience:

• No phone policies that protect the vibe

• Spaces where people can dance without fear of being filmed

• Curated content shared afterward, so people still get their memories, without losing the moment itself

It’s not about banning anything. It’s about creating emotional safety — the kind that makes you let go, fully and freely.

Final Reflection

The 90s weren’t perfect. But the freedom they offered on the dancefloor? That’s something worth reclaiming.

So next time you step into a crowd, ask yourself:

“Do I want to remember this — or do I want to feel it?”

Let’s make space for moments that matter again. Let’s bring back what we’ve missed. With Sonder, you don’t have to choose. #MomentsYouHaveMissed #SonderExperience