Even those who had a relatively healthy relationship with technology prior to the pandemic may now find themselves in a different position—one where they’re interacting with some type of screen during nearly all of their waking hours. Between the Zoom meetings, virtual visits, your actual job, and using TV as a way to wind down after all the other screen time, you may be looking for an excuse to put everything down—at least for a day.
Now, the team at Reviews.org has one for you: they will pay one person $2,400 to do a 24-hour digital detox. Here’s what to know.
What you have to do for the money
Naturally, the challenge involves more than simply avoiding screens for the day: the person selected will have to provide the company with some feedback on their experience, and review their “techless 24-hour survival kit” (more on that in a bit).
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So what exactly does disconnecting entail? According to Reviews.org, someone must be willing to disconnect from all personal technology (emergencies excluded) for 24 hours, including:
- No cell phone
- No television
- No gaming consoles/handheld gaming devices
- No computers/laptops
- No smartwatches or wearable tech
- No smart home devices (smart speakers, smart vacuums, etc.)
An exception to this is a microwave, which you’re still permitted to use to heat food during the 24-hour period.
If you’re chosen for the digital detox challenge, you’ll have 14 days to pick a day that works for your schedule. Following the challenge, you’ll be required to submit screen time reports to prove that you truly went a full 24 hours without your tech.
What you get
If you’re selected to take the challenge, you’ll receive:
- The official title of “2021 Digital Detox Challenger” in the U.S.
- $2,400 (USD) as payment for completing the challenge
- A day without doomscrolling, bad internet memes, or Zoom fatigue
- A safe to store your tech in for 24 hours
- A $200 Amazon gift card to put together a tech-less survival kit
The techless survival kit is basically your choice of items from Amazon, worth up to $200 total, that will help you pass the time without your devices. Here are a few suggestions from the company (though they’re open to your ideas as well):
- A typewriter to replace your laptop
- Board games to replace video games
- Writing stationery to replace text messaging or emails
- An abacus to replace your phone’s calculator
- Books from the best-seller list to replace the time you spend scrolling through social media
- Paints and brushes to make a self-portrait rather than taking selfies
How to apply
Anyone who is at least 18 years of age and eligible to work in the U.S. is eligible to apply. Just fill out this application by 7 p.m. EST on Friday, March 26, 2021. Reviews.org will announce the names of those selected to be detox challengers on March 29 on their YouTube channel.
