14 DAY TRIAL // Giving up on a smartphone is something that’s extremely uncomfortable these days, mostly because these devices have become extensions of ourselves and are around us 24/7.
But on the other hand, I’m seeing more and more people who no longer want to be connected all the time, so what they plan to do is give up on smartphones and return to an old dumb phone.
It’s these people that are targeted by a campaign launched by a company called FrontierBundles.
This firm is willing to pay someone no less than $1,000 for giving up on their smartphones for just one week, and instead of staying connected to the Internet, to use nothing more than a flip phone and a survival kit during this whole time.
“That’s right. We’re looking for one brave soul to willingly give up their smartphone for a full seven days in favor of a flip phone. The madness! We know. That’s why we want to see what happens. How did you sleep? Were you more or less productive? How long did things take? Did it feel like you went back in time?” the company says.
The survival kit
The survival kit that the company provides participants with includes a physical map to get around without GPS, a pocket phonebook for your favorite contacts, a Notepad and a pen for shopping lists, and some old 90s CDs to listen to your music without Spotify.
“We’ll have you track (don’t worry, your info stays safe with us!) how long it takes you to do basic tasks such as texting and checking email, how many times you wish you could Google something, how many hours you slept, how your productivity changed (or didn’t!), and even if you were late to appointments (after all, how does anyone get around without Google Maps?),” it says.
You can find the full details of the campaign, including a form to apply, on the page linked above.