Brooklyn-based designer Eric Forman has created the Dis/Connect chandelier to create a space of digital quiet. The chandelier's dual function lights up the room with conversation. It prevents people from using their smartphones at the dinner table by blocking wireless signals below it.
Dis/Connect features ten radio-jamming antennae in the place of candles. These interfere with any wireless communication within a five-foot radius. The chandelier is a collaborative effort between Forman, artist Ben Luzzatto, and engineer Daniel Gross, to foster technology-free environments.
The light produced by the chandelier comes from its central column and arms that are made of acrylic. Forman explains that the tool is meant to allow people to be wholly present with themselves and each other.
Radio-Jamming Chandeliers
The Dis/Connect Chandelier is Both a Lighting Fixture and Radio-Jammer
Trend Themes
1. Digital Detox Products - Dis/Connect chandelier serves as an example of a growing trend in the creation of digital detox products that prevent people from using their phones and other digital devices.
2. Anti-surveillance Technology - The Dis/Connect chandelier highlights a trend in the development of anti-surveillance technology that helps individuals to protect their privacy and personal information from being compromised.
3. Hybrid Furniture - The combination of a lighting fixture and a digital blocker in the Dis/Connect chandelier represents a trend towards the creation of hybrid furniture that serves multiple functions.
Industry Implications
1. Home Decor - Manufacturers of home decor products have an opportunity to explore and develop similar hybrid furniture pieces that serve more than one purpose, such as the Dis/Connect chandelier.
2. Cybersecurity - Companies focused on cybersecurity can develop innovative solutions, like the Dis/Connect chandelier, that provide their customers with the tools to protect their personal information from being compromised by hackers and other cybercriminals.
3. Hospitality - The hospitality industry can benefit from the Dis/Connect chandelier by offering guests a technology-free environment, which could be viewed as a selling point for those seeking a digital detox experience.