A nightclub in the UK has implemented a strict rule that you have to cover your phone's camera with a sticker to get into the club – should Ireland follow suit?

The idea behind the rule is to get people more into the moment and stop them trying to film for social media.

DMG music journalist Becca Fisher told The Hard Shoulder people take their phones out in clubs to “create memories”.

“My generation and people a little before me brought digital cameras [out to clubs], I'm sure my parents brought disposables, and now everything's built into one lovely, very expensive device that you want to get your money out of,” she said.

Ms Fisher said she thought implementing a policy where you can’t take pictures of videos in a club is “a bit ridiculous”.

“I mean what's going on in a nightclub that's not going on in a late bar, or even these days around Christmas, in a pub,” she said.

“People have their phones out everywhere - where are we going to draw the line?

“I think at this point it's de-incentivising people to get involved with like the nightlife industry and the nightlife economy which is greatly suffering and really needs our business.

“While I might find it annoying, while you might find it annoying, while the DJ might find it annoying, can we really dictate what people do when they've also paid the same amount of money to be there as you?”

"Free will"

Ms Fisher said she believes Ireland needs more regulations around taking pictures or videos of people without their consent.

“We've had instances where politicians have found themselves filmed, celebrities have found themselves filmed in compromising positions, and it's not great and it's not fun,” she said.

“But then again, people have free will to do these things if they want to and you know if you're going into one of these establishments, that's the case.

“So I suppose if this club wants to implement [a no phone rule], if you don't want to do that, you just don't go.”

It’s a different situation at a concert, where you might be obstructing someone’s view of the artist, Ms Fisher said.

“Gig etiquette as a whole has gone down and there's many things we need to do to make gig experiences far more enjoyable, but in a club, you know, we're not all piled together,” she said.

“People are in different corners, doing different things, having a good time - if you want to take your phone out, take your phone out.”

Nightclub decline

Today FM’s Ed Smith said people go into nightclubs to do things that aren’t meant to be filmed.

“The figures behind the decline of nightclubs is quite startling since the year 2000 in Ireland, 84% of nightclubs have clothes, dropping from over 500 venues around the country to just around 70 today,” he said.

“I spoke to numerous young people over the last day or so about this, and they just don't like going to clubs.

“Things have changed and I do find that the idea of a nightclub is less appealing now.

“I think young people are a lot more health conscious, and also they don't have the disposable cash that they did back in day.

“I'm not sure that blocking someone's phone camera is going to bring back nightclubs.”

“The vibe is very much affected”

Mr Smith said he understands from his years of DJing that when the dance floor is full of people on their phones, “the vibe is very much affected”.

“If you want to open a nightclub solely with absolutely zero technology and go back to the old school and just play the old tunes - I'm absolutely certain there's a market for them,” he said.

“But [thinking this is] the way that they're going to solve the nightclub crisis, it's not going to happen.

“I think they've got to make things cheaper, they've got to make it easier to get in and out of town, they've got to sort out the taxi situation and have to make it safer.”

Mr Power said he might sound like “an old fogy”, but he thinks the days of the nightclub that he “knew and loved” with “sticky floors and the smell of stale cigarettes and curry sauce” is gone.

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People in a nightclub. Image: Alamy