Marrakech – At exactly 3 p.m. today (that’s 2 p.m. for us in Morocco), something quietly radical happened across France.
People put down their phones. No doomscrolling. No selfies. No checking the time only to get sucked into another notification spiral. Just humans — together, in parks, talking, playing, laughing.
France officially joined the #ReconnexionDay movement, following in the footsteps of Portugal and Spain, with a bold invitation: take a break from screens, even just for an afternoon, and reconnect with the world offline.
And surprisingly? People actually did it.
There was no massive concert, no flashing lights, no celebrity guest list. Just a simple instruction: at 3 p.m., head to the nearest big city park with whatever brings joy—a ball, a deck of cards, a guitar, or a friend.
No agenda. No app. Just you and whoever else shows up.
In a world that runs on scrolling and swiping, the idea felt almost rebellious. But in cities across France, strangers chatted, kids played, and grown-ups remembered how to look up.
The usual park scenes — people buried in their screens — were replaced with spontaneous games, music, and actual conversations.
It was like real life suddenly had better resolution.
The whole idea behind #ReconnexionDay is simple: put the phone away, and the world shows up.
Born from a grassroots citizen initiative, this movement reminds us that social connection doesn’t require a charger — just curiosity, courage, and a bit of sunlight.
There were no livestreams, no hashtags (at least not after the clock struck 3). But if you walked through a French park this afternoon, you might’ve seen something rare: people being present. Really present.
If France could pause its collective scrolling, even for a few hours, maybe the rest of us can too.
Whether you’re in Morocco or anywhere else, consider this your sign: pick a time, invite a few friends — or strangers — and just be.
No phone. No plan. Just real life. Who knows what you’ll find when you finally look up?
