Could you go 24 hours without tech - for $2,400?

[midian182]

In context: Could you go without any technology for 24 hours? Most people in the US would have struggled with that challenge even before the pandemic. As Covid forces us to rely ever more on tech for work and play, it sounds like a task few could, or would want to, complete today. But what if it included a $2,400 incentive?

The 2021 Digital Detox Challenge, a competition run by review site Reviews.org, seeks tech-loving participants who desire to ditch all devices for a day. Virtually everything electronic has to be given up: smartphones, TVs, laptops, wearables, smart home devices, though you can use a microwave.

This isn’t a case of merely ignoring modern gadgets for 24 hours and being handed $2,400. If you’re chosen to take part—expect plenty of applicants—you’ll need to use the provided $200 Amazon gift card to buy a techless survival kit. This should include chip-free items for getting you through the day, such as books, board games, and writing stationery.

Additionally, participants must give feedback on the experience and review their 24-hour survival kit. The challenge also involves submitting screen time reports to prove you went 24 hours without tech.

According to the rules, “You’ll have 14 days from accepting the challenge to pick a day that works for you, so you don’t have to skip school or work (unless you want to).”

Applications close on March 26, 2021, so best hurry if you’d like a chance to take part. The chosen challengers will be announced on March 29 on Reviews.org’s YouTube channel. It's open to those aged 18 and older who are eligible to work in the US—there's also a separate Australian challenge.

According to a recent phone-addiction report, three out of four Americans consider themselves addicted to their handsets, and the majority of people check their mobiles once every nine minutes (or 160 times per day). We also spend an average of 56 hours and 42 minutes per week watching TV. This writer once went a month without a smartphone—not out of choice—and it was awful.

Image credit: Sinisa Botas

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https://www.techspot.com/news/89012-could-you-go-24-hours-without-tech-2400.html

 

[Mister_K]

I work in "tech" but $2,400 is more than I make in one day so yep. Actually detox is a good thing.

 

[envirovore]

I could arrange a two day camping trip and do this easy peasy.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Yes

I could.

 

[Tempus]

Not even a challenge. My normal pre-covid vacation involved 8 days on a ranch without any technology. No internet, no phone service, nothing at all (in fact they barely had electricity!). Want to do something in the evening, better bring a book!

 

[Thannos]

I could easily do it for a week, even a month or year if that was the rate per day.

 

[Faelan]

Have we reached the point where 24 hours is considered a challenge worth $2400? Maybe it’s not just a tech detox that we need. Maybe we need an instant gratification detox as well.

 

[stewi0001]

The feedback and review could be the annoying kicker to me. I am very straight to the point, which is also why I never apply to be a writer here.

 

[SirDigby]

I could pretty easily do this, and from the comments of others I feel like people who are very into tech know just how important it is to take a break from it too, where its the 'normies' who would struggle most. My wife spends 50% of her free time on her phone like when we watch TV or a movie she will be playing on her phone or scrolling social media. I'm not so attached at the hip and I unplug more even though I actually love it a lot more.

 

[madboyv1]

My sleep deficit is so great I could just sleep the 24 hours away. Sign me up~

 

[Tyrchlis]

Easy peasy. All I need is a good book and I'm set for a day, a week, even a month with no sweat. As long as I don't have to actually read the crap selection of books included in the kit and can read what I want to (mainly Warhammer 40K novels), then it's all good! I refuse to own a cell phone, not using one would be no loss. And ignoring my PC for a day is fairly easy as well if the book is good enough.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

I'll sign up, could use $2400. Neither of my cars have digital displays in them and between books, chores, and house projects I could go weeks without tech.

 

[Raytrace3D]

When do I start?

 

[herpaderp]

It's sad to think that there are people who genuinely couldn't bear to do this, and that this is a "challenge".

 

[Puiu]

How is this a challenge? Just get a book or two and relax for a day.

 

[sac39507]

I'd do it for free, just not on a work day obviously. The fact that this is a "challenge" means the human race is doomed.

 

[kimo1]

...provided $200 Amazon gift card to buy a techless survival kit.

What's in it?
But, sign me up for whole month! I wouldn't mind easy 72k$.

 

[DelJo63]

Heck -- just one beer/hr would entice me

 

[terzaerian]

This is a "no electronics" challenge. Call back when there is a real 24-hour no technology challenge, involving dropping the participants off in the wilderness, naked.

 

[ScottSoapbox]

Uh, it's called camping.

 

[Fox God Records]

Well crud!! I just did this last weekend. And I went the full 48. Where's my back-dated check?

We left last Friday and headed for the lake. We spent Saturday and Sunday working on the bunkhouse (Yes, using hand tools. We were doing concrete pours from a wheel barrow and landscaping. LOTS of work with shovels.), and we fished off the dock. We smoked the fish (and a very nice pork tenderloin) and turned in early. We came back home on Monday.

Where's my money?

 

[arrowflash]

I have already done it without receiving anything in return earlier this year.

Back in january a heavy thunderstorm with heavy winds hit my area and trees fell on power lines in many places around the region. To sum it up we stayed over 72 hours without power.

Most of our portable devices and our laptops were charged so we managed for the first 36 hours, but I'm sure in the last 24 hours before power was restored we didn't have any electronic devices to use.

I don't mind staying up to a week without internet access, but no electronic devices at all really sucks.

 

[yRaz]

One the weather gets nice I only really turn the TV on for background noise as I sleep. I hate phones and the only thing I use them for the GPS and check the weather.

I could easily go 24 hours without tech

 

[Ravey]

Too easy this! Whenever I go away camping or on vacation for two weeks, all digitl devices are turned off and locked away! Then it's just me, the family and a total disconnect from normality for a while.

 

[jibola]

When do I start ?