Burnaby, BC: In the wake of last week’s Blackberry outage, and the near-hysteria over the iPhone 4S release, students in the School of Business at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) are unplugging from texting and social media for five days.
It’s an experiment called “Unplug for Africa” and it will examine the relationship between productivity and over-connecting using smart phones and other technology. With North American cell phone users between the ages of 18 and 24 exchanging an average of 110 messages per day, digital connection can be a fulltime pre-occupation.
Beginning on Monday, October 17th at 8:00 a.m. students will cut ties with the following for five days:
• Instant Messaging (IM) or online chat tools
• Text messaging (SMS) or BBM
• Facebook, Linkedin, YouTube, Flickr
The school-week long event will look at how students are becoming dependent on technology, the way it impacts their productivity and relationships, and if they can truly unhook for one school week. Participants will also be raising money for Red Cross relief efforts in Africa while they learn.
While many companies have embraced social media as a form of connecting with customers, others are shutting down employee access to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube – one report suggests that as many as 19% of companies worldwide have closed off social media access.
Unplug for Africa is not about giving up technology forever; it’s about rediscovering balance and giving priority to face-to face interaction and productivity.
Throughout the week students will be given the opportunity to take part in various activities on campus, including an unplug lounge for ‘tech detox,” pointers on digital etiquette, and a special guest lecture by Daniel Seiberg; author of “Digital Diet; breaking through tech addiction and regaining balance in life.”
“Unplug for Africa” is a learning experience that gives student’s a first-hand examination of productivity, social behavior, and business norms, all while raising money for overseas relief. More information is available at www.unplugforafrica.com
For further information on this release, please contact Christina Minton, Media Relations Coordinator, at 604.456.1217 or email christina_minton@bcit.ca.
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