Can switching OFF reconnect us all?
How alumnus Diego Hidalgo Demeusois has turned research at Cambridge into an international movement
Could you last a month without social media?
Tech entrepreneur, activist, writer, and diplomat Diego Hidalgo Demeusois (Girton 2006) believes a digital detox could ignite the fuse for social change.
As the head of the OFF Movement (OFF), Diego calls on citizens far and wide to participate in a new initiative, OFF February: a month without social media. Diego’s journey to found this international movement illustrates how ideas born at Cambridge are not confined to lecture halls but go on to have a global impact.
So, why does a tech entrepreneur want to wean the public off technology? Well, to quote a famous social media platform: ‘It’s complicated.’
Viewing technology through a political lens
Technology’s effects on society fascinated Diego before arriving in Cambridge. “When the internet was more widespread in the 1990s, I was struck by how my own father was absorbed in his emails. It made me wonder: is digital technology going to strengthen social connections or the opposite?"
This led Diego to study Philosophy, Politics and Economy at Sciences Po in France, coincidentally introducing him to Cambridge. “During this time, I did one year as an exchange student at University College London. While I was in the UK, I visited Cambridge and I really liked the environment. I told myself I would be back one day in a more serious way.”
After studying an MA in International Relations, Diego kept his promise through an MPhil in Sociology at Cambridge.
“The course appealed to me because it focused on my area of interest: the impact of innovation on society.”
Diego speaking at a conference for the Aspen Institute
Diego speaking at a conference for the Aspen Institute
Diego and friends from Girton
Diego and friends from Girton
Diego with friends going to a formal
Diego with friends going to a formal
Forecasting the social media storm
Cambridge provided Diego with an opportunity to undertake pioneering research on technology. “I aimed to analyse the impact technology had on social capital: the wealth of relationships in society.”
Facebook piqued his interest. “Before arriving at Cambridge, I had never heard of social media, which was still nascent. But when I started, I was struck by how many people were talking about Facebook, which was rapidly becoming a big part of student life.
His decision to research Facebook a mere two years after its launch caused mixed reactions. “When I told people I was researching Facebook, some people thought it was a bit trivial. But my supervisor, Professor John Thompson, had confidence in my proposal.”
Diego’s research included interviews with students from different Colleges. “I noticed that people were willing to talk about their experiences of social media, and that they already realised how much it was impacting their relationships with others.
"What struck me was that people were using Facebook to scrutinise each other’s lives. A student told me that she would not date people who were not on Facebook because she would find it suspicious.
"So, even not being on social media had an impact on how people perceived you.”
Diego’s connections and research at Cambridge helped to shape his lifelong mission. “From the very beginning of Facebook, I saw an addictive tendency and a capacity to capture many aspects of people’s lives.
"The platform was quick to affect how people related to each other.”
Innovating technology for impact
Although Diego was tempted to continue in academia, he wanted to enact some of the change he envisioned. “My MPhil at Cambridge inspired me to add value by applying my research in the real world.
"As a tech entrepreneur, I have tried to build models for technology that are aligned with human interest.”
Diego’s first endeavour was starting the company Amovens. “This was initially a ride-sharing platform, where you can carpool from one city to another by catching a ride with someone who’s already driving there.
"Eventually, the platform enabled users to share cars in different ways, such as peer-to-peer car rental.”
Today, Amovens has around two and a half million Spanish users. In 2015, it was acquired by a Danish company. Amovens now operates in eight European countries.
Diego’s endeavours did not end there. “I’ve also got an investment fund called Ballensworth that invests in early-phase start-ups. It’s impact investment; the companies must have a positive impact on the environment or society.”
Even though Diego’s pursuits are expansive, there is one common thread:
“As an entrepreneur, writer, activist and diplomat, I need to see the positive impact in what I do, and it needs to be meaningful.”
Diego in the ABC newspaper for Amovens
Diego in the ABC newspaper for Amovens
Diego in La Vanguardia for Amovens
Diego in La Vanguardia for Amovens
Diego with his personal phone
Diego with his personal phone
Sounding OFF: from tech entrepreneur to social activist
Diego stayed true to his research at Cambridge by starting the movement OFF. From mobile phones to technology in education, OFF aims to raise awareness about the dangers of being dependent on technology.
“We launched in 2024 to send an emergency message to the general population and to the authorities that we’re reaching a critical point in our relationship with technology, especially in how it can exploit our vulnerabilities.
"These weaknesses include humans’ cognitive function, but also the vulnerabilities of the democratic institutions that we have worked so hard to create.”
The OFF Manifesto contains the guiding principles of the Movement. “The Manifesto has three parts: what we observe, what we want to avoid, and what we propose.
"We’re focusing on trying to make the largest number of people aware of these problems, whilst also creating political demands for change.”
Although Diego uses technology for social impact, he believes that our over-reliance on technology is having a negative impact on society.
“This kind of digitalisation has taken place indiscriminately in all aspects of our lives.”
OFF February: the digital detox you secretly knew you needed
Diego’s solution is OFF February, inspired by Dry January. “Dry January started in the UK over a decade ago. Even those who don’t participate hear the debates about the effects of alcohol.
“That’s why we decided to launch a digital version of Dry January: OFF February.”
Although OFF targets various types of technology, OFF February’s message is simple: uninstall social media apps. “We’re not telling people to delete their accounts. We’re not even telling people not to access social media because they can do it through a web browser.
"We’re aiming to curb the unintentional and compulsive use of these platforms, which in the UK is stealing an average of 54 hours a month of people’s time.”
Diego emphasises that this is not a punishment, but an opportunity. “We want to help people to reinvest that time in any activity other than simply scrolling through social media for hours.
"The good news is that almost any alternative to social media is more beneficial, whether it’s spending time with friends and family, engaging in physical activity, reading, cooking, or even getting enough sleep. To spread the message, OFF partners with bookshops, restaurants, cultural spaces, and sports facilities."
Diego hopes OFF February will instil an awareness about the reliance our society has on technology and that there can be another way. “If people realise that they can reinvest this time, they may reduce the time they spend on social media in future.
"We want to give people a taste of a life without social media.”
Sophie Winkleman
Sophie Winkleman
Sophie Winkleman on the power of pausing
Actress and fellow Cambridge alumnus, Sophie Winkleman (Trinity Hall 1998), is the UK Ambassador for OFF. She believes OFF February will be a wake-up call for many people.
"After a month without social media on their phones, I think people will get a taste of how much time they've gained, how much calmer, freer and more positive they feel, and many will not go back."
Ideas at Cambridge are changing the world
Whether or not you join Diego in his mission, his work demonstrates the powerful effect that research at Cambridge can have. What began as a research proposal about Facebook in its infancy has transformed into an internationally recognised movement calling for radical action.