We're seen efforts of this nature before -- remember when John Mayer wanted you to make like a Luddite for the first week of 2010?
But this event, which Reboot is calling The National Day of Unplugging, goes the extra mile with promotions (ironically enough) through Facebook, Twitter and a website called the Sabbath Manifesto (the day itself is part of a larger movement called the Sabbath Manifesto, a movement started by a group of Jewish artists, writers, filmmakers and social media professionals seeking to integrate traditional rituals into their modern lives).
There will also be a series of events in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco (according to Reboot, they're private and space is limited). All guests at these events will be asked to check their phones at the door, where they will sleep the next 24 hours away in a cell phone sleeping bag [pictured above].
Tanya Schevitz, a Reboot rep, told us that the idea is spreading. "We are hearing from people all over the county –- and beyond –- that they will create their own events, gather with friends, family, etc. to embrace the Sabbath Manifesto and the National Day of Unplugging," she said.
Participants are also encouraged to sign on to the Sabbath Manifesto website and report back on their technological withdrawal experiences.
This venture is certainly interesting in light of recent stats that point to our society's obsession with technological communication and increasing fascination with social media.
“There's clearly a social problem when we're interacting more with digital interfaces than our fellow human beings," said Dan Rollman, Sabbath Manifesto creator and founder of the Universal Record Database. "Rich, engaging conversations are harder to come by than they were a few years ago."