$10K for just a month! Yogurt company Siggi’s Dairy is offering a prize of $10,000 if you ditch your cell phone for a month. The New York-based company has announced a new Dry January this year; instead of avoiding alcohol, people must avoid their phones for the month.
“We believe in the power of living a simpler life with fewer distractions. One of the biggest distractions in our lives today is our phone,” Siggi’s added.
You must be among the first ten participants to win $10K and 60 cups of Siggi’s yogurt. Unfortunately, this fantastic, fast-paced event ended on January 31st. But the idea of ditching your phone, if only for a month, might be worthy of your consideration.
Ditching your cell phone rewards you with seven life-changing benefits ranging from less anxiety and stress to a healthier body. Especially in young teens, your body is constantly growing, and with all the mood swings, do you really want more stress? The more stress you gain, the harder it will be in life. As mood swings start to get more prominent, you could end up upsetting someone you love, like a parent or a friend. So, what’s more important: your loved ones or your phone?
Additionally, ditching your phone could cause your focus to grow. That homework that you don’t finish until 10? It’ll be done by 8, at max. Your phone causes a lot of distractions, which could cause you not to finish your work. You may be so holed up on your phone that you can’t acknowledge others and build connections. Leaving your phone gives you higher chances of allowing connections to flourish and gives you more free time to do whatever you want, which will help you clear your mind.
Adding on to connections, being connected is incredibly important, especially as a teen. It can make you happy overall and more easygoing. It will also allow you to focus more on others and what they say. By making others feel respected, you will be respected too. It will help you be more stress-free. This way, others will also listen to your ideas and opinions. They will respect you as you respect them.
Being mindful is also essential. Using your phone distracts you from being in the moment. When something funny happens, your first instinct is to record it so you can remember it later. But the best way to remember something is to be right there in the moment. A photo or video works, but it doesn’t recreate the moment. You lose that sense of wonder and enjoyment you get when you are present. Having a memory on your phone to look at is nice and all, but you must understand that there are chances that you will lose these videos and photos that you have collected and lose the memories that come with them.
Another vital advantage is sharper critical thinking and creativity. When you do your homework, you are more likely to search for the answers to your homework instead of trying to wonder and figure it out yourself. Without a phone, you will be forced to wonder more, which will, in turn, cause you to be more creative. This creativity will help you with analysis and critical thinking. Without your mind being muddled by a phone, new possibilities could open up, making you the next Albert Einstein, per se.
Ditching your phone can also cause you to be more grateful. Parents always talk about being more grateful and making Thanksgiving every day. Yet, you don’t realize how important it is to recognize others. Your parents work incredibly hard, trying to make you happy and making sure you are stress-free. Your friends will always be there for you through the toughest of times. But when you see “better” things on social media, what your friends and family do for you seems insignificant. If you put down your phone, the chances of losing your friends are much lower because you pay more attention to them, and they will feel as if you recognize them. They know that you will return the love that they give you!
Lastly, using your phone less can make you healthier overall. Screen time tends to mess up your sleep schedule. When did you last stay up late because you were on your phone? Not long ago. Data shows that two in three teenagers regularly sleep less than the recommended amount due to their phones!
Additionally, when you look at your phone, you tend to lose track of time, missing meals and quality time with the people you love. Losing these things can start your mood swings again because your mental health is lower. You won’t feel as well and may stop trying in school. It is crucial to focus and try because trying in school is what sets your future. Having a healthy life now guarantees chances of a healthy life in the future, too!
Now, ditching your phone for a month doesn’t seem too bad. Although it gives you no physical reward, all these added benefits seem to be a reward in themself! Keeping your friends and family is more important than using your phone daily. Daily, bit by bit, try not to use your phone unless it is vital. Soon enough, not using it for a month will be a breeze! It seems Siggi’s Dairy’s idea was pretty good, even if it ended. Getting to keep your loved ones is 100% more important than using your phone, don’t you agree?
Sources:
Seven Reasons To Break Your Smartphone Addiction | Piedmont Healthcare
How Screen Time May Cause Insomnia in Teens | Sleep Foundation
