Would you talk to strangers in exchange for free Wi-Fi? Social experiment explores that

A Wi-Fi signal may connect millions of people from around the world, but does it make us any closer to those around us?

That’s the idea explored by a recent social experiment carried out by artists Michael Reiner and Ivan Cash called ‘The Free Wi-Fi Experiment.’

“Imagine if free Wi-Fi was the key to getting strangers to talk with each other,” reads the video’s description.

The short video clip shows as series of signs being covertly posted by the duo in a number of San Francisco coffee shops that read: “Before providing you with our free Wi-Fi code, you must first have a conversation with three strangers.”

The idea behind the thoughtful film was to see if total strangers would begin actually talking to one another at these local cafes, instead of just staring at their work.

“We both spend a lot of time working in cafes, and anytime you look up from your screen, it’s impossible not to notice all the people around you who are just totally immersed in technology,” Reiner said speaking to Notable.

“This just felt like a really nice way to push back, challenge the way things are, and also have fun with it.”

The signs reportedly didn’t stay up for very long, seeing as they were posted without permission, but at they very least this video project offers a thoughtful look at our modern day connection to both technology and community.