Is unconsciously checking your smartphone the first thing you do in the morning? This Sunday, try turning off your mobile, tablet, laptop and PC for just five hours.
2013 Moodoff Day kicks off this Sunday, 24 February. The Sydney initiative aims to raise awareness of the detrimental impact that smartphones have on quality of life, by simply turning off technology this Sunday for just five hours.
It is recommended that those participating avoid touching their phones unless someone calls, avoid checking emails and SMS’s, and wait five hours after getting up to get the daily dose of Facebook and Twitter updates. Have a coffee with someone, go for a walk, talk to family or neighbours, or read a newspaper.
Moodoff Day has gained international support in over 40 countries from the UK and South Africa to Singapore, Germany, India and the United States. Not only does the smartphone bring about dangerous habits such as texting, social media updates and surfing the web while driving, it is also affecting social behaviour and work productivity. Users tend to spend more time on devices than connecting with friends, family and colleagues.
A 2012 survey by the Pew Research Centre indicated that 46 percent of all adults in the US own a smartphone. The same study further found that 44 percent exhibited extreme separation anxiety when faced with even a week without their smartphone.
For more information, visit Moodoff Day’s website.
