Do you have a compelling case to argue about how ditching your smartphone for a month may benefit you? If so, you may want to enter Siggi’s Digital Detox Program. The Icelandic yogurt company is offering $10,000 each to 10 different people who can write the best essay on how ditching their smartphone for a month would benefit their lives.
Specifically, applicants will need to submit an essay between 100 and 500 words that explains “why you need a digital detox in your life and how it will impact you in a positive way that aligns with the siggi’s brand philosophy.”
And don’t even think about using ChatGPT to help you, because the rules specifically state that “artificial intelligence shall not be used to create any portion of the essay.”
As Siggi’s website reveals, the company’s philosophy boils down to less equals more: “Let’s truly champion less as only siggi’s can. Let’s embrace the possibilities it provides. Let’s love what we have, not what others tell us we need because we believe once you strip away artificial expectations, less sets you free. Just like our yogurt made with simple ingredients, we believe life is better with fewer distractions and more time spent on the moments that matter.”
In addition to 10 winners receiving $10,000 each, all winners will also receive a lockbox for their smartphone (presumably so they can lock theirs away as they embark on their monthlong digital detox), a flip phone, a one-month prepaid SIM card, and 60 cups of Siggi’s yogurt.
Winning essays will be selected based on how clearly the participant explains how they “will use the time during the digital detox to live a simpler life” as well as the originality and creativity of the essay and the “Participant’s authentic expression in the essay of commitment to the challenge of living for a month without a smartphone.”
As for those who fear that going a month without their smartphone will lead to less productivity, Siggi’s founder Siggi Hilmarsson previously revealed to Fast Company what he believes is the biggest productivity tool. “I think the biggest productivity tool for any executive is just having a lot of great people around,” Hilmarsson said.
Siggi’s contest runs from now until 11:59 pm (ET) on January 31, 2024. You can read the full contest rules here.
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