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Posted: 11:37 a.m. Thursday, March 22, 2012
By Samantha Murphy
Could you survive 24 hours without checking your phone, email or social networks? A movement has been making the rounds online that encourages people to take a digital detox for 24 hours starting at sunset on Friday, March 23.
The National Day of Unplugging — which is in its third year — runs from sundown Friday, March 23 to sundown, Saturday, March 24. With 66% of people claiming they are addicted to the Internet, the day was designed to get people back to re-connect with family, friends and oneself, away from technology.
“Shut down your computer,” the pledge states. “Turn off your cell phone. Stop the constant emailing, texting, tweeting and Facebooking to take time to notice the world around you. Connect with loved ones. Nurture your health. Get outside. Find silence. Avoid commerce. Give back. Eat Together. ”
The movement — which was developed by a Jewish organization called Reboot — gets its roots in Judaism’s Sabbath tradition, where people unplug for 24 hours starting each Saturday. Nearly 1,200 people have signed the pledge via Causes.com.
Recently, more than 200 people attended Reboot’s SXSW Unplugging Party, shutting off their cell phones and putting them into sleeping bags in the middle of the 2012 SXSW Interactive Festival — one of the most plugged-in places in the world.
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