A few weeks ago, I saw the UNICEF Tap Project going viral on my Facebook newsfeed. The premise of this campaign is to have people in the developed world (primarily, phone-obsessed millennials) unplug for as long as possible, and large donors will give a predetermined amount for every 10 minutes the phone is unused. The campaign has many purposes. First, it is an attempt to recreate spheres of human interaction for people in the developed world, especially activities that older generations consider unspoken unplug time, such as meals. Second, the campaign is making people aware of how often (and how obsessively) we, as a society, check our phones and are constantly tweeting, posting, liking, commenting, and sharing on social media. It is a time to resist the urge to check every notification that pops up from our (virtual) friends, and being more present in reality. Lastly, the campaign is comparing our impulse to be "plugged in" every waking hour with the very real need for clean water that is necessary for survival. UNICEF is trying to make people realize what is truly a need and what is merely an accessory or desire.
The UNICEF Tap Project's current status is here: http://tap.unicefusa.org/. I hope that the campaign is successful in all of its endeavors, but it makes me hopeful that perhaps we will realize how lucky we are to have some many resources that we take for granted.
Thank you for sharing this video. I agree that people dont often realize what we need versus what we desire. I am guilty of that, I am ALWAYS on my phone. It is a very interesting idea to connect not using our phones to helping provide clean water. It seems like a new idea that can do well.
ReplyDeleteI personally also enjoyed the video. The part where it talks about refreshing our pages to see how many people liked our picture was relatable to me because I always do this. I feel like the challenge this campaign provides will do much to help make us aware of the importance of learning about poverty issues. This campaign opens the door to making poverty more visible by putting it in our phones and phone apps. This can definitely develop into something more for other poverty aspects as well.