NYU’s new IRL campaign explores what happens when we spend so much time looking at our phones that we miss what’s happening right in front of us. Through a playful take on Friends - via a parody sitcom called Not Friends - the campaign creates its own touch-grass momentum. In this version of the comedy, our characters spend the whole time on the coffee-shop sofa, scrolling on their phones.

The campaign is pro-connection, encouraging students to find a healthier balance between life online and life on campus. Ultimately, it’s about wellbeing, belonging and community. All three are bought together through a simple idea: helping students spend more time with each other. In an increasingly digital world, perhaps that’s becoming one of higher education’s most valuable experiences.