- VIVA.co.id/Arianti Widya
Jakarta – Icelandic yogurt company, Siggi is organizing a competition called the digital detox challenge, where participants have the chance to win a prize of $10,000 or IDR158 million by without their smartphones.
Siggi positions this as an alternative to 'Dry January,' a tradition of abstaining from alcohol for the entire month.
"This year, we introduce a new form of 'Dry January.' Instead of abstaining from alcohol for a month, we invite you to detach yourself from your smartphone," as conveyed in the official announcement on Siggi's website.
Individuals interested in participating are required to write a short essay explaining why they need a digital detox and its impact on their lives.
Winners not only receive a cash prize but also a key box to store their smartphones for a month, a classic flip phone, a prepaid SIM card with one month of credit, and three months of free yogurt.
The provided flip phone only has basic functions for calls and SMS, without internet access.
According to Futurism, the concept of digital detox has often been proposed by bloggers, health experts, and academics, stating that a break from the internet provides benefits by creating distance from the toxic online environment.
Excessive use of smartphones and other smart devices is known to have negative impacts on mental health. Additionally, the time spent by individuals on smart device screens tends to increase.
Meanwhile, Indonesian residents are particularly prone to smartphone addiction, being the only population spending over 6 hours daily staring at phone screens.
This makes Indonesia the top country globally in terms of smartphone addiction, according to the 2024 State of Mobile report released by Data.AI.
In 2023, Indonesians spent an average of 6.05 hours per day using mobile devices, with Thailand ranking second at 5.64 hours per day, and Argentina third at 5.33 hours per day.
