'Unplug And Reconnect' Campaign Launched

A woman's organisation is calling for people to unplug from technology and spend time with their loved one's instead.
The 'Day to Disconnect' initiative was launched by Ohr Naava, a nonprofit women's group, and joined by Unplug and Reconnect, an organisation dedicated to educating people on the importance of unplugging from technology and reconnecting with people.
Thousands of people worldwide have agreed to unplug from technology on Sun, Oct 2.
"How would you spend one hour free from technology?" is the rallying call for this initiative.
Each person is encouraged to pledge one or more hours, with the ultimate goal of raising 1,000,000 Unplugged hours on that one day.
To date, more than 100,000 people have viewed the campaign YouTube videos, and tens of thousands of hours have been pledged. Those who registered have indicated they will spend their unplugged time in pursuits such as committing to quality time with loved ones, meditating, reading, learning, gardening, cooking, basking in tranquillity, or, as one person said, "just being".
"In this digital age, we need to achieve a new balance in our lives," says Dr. Joseph Geliebter, a clinical psychologist and founder of Unplug and Reconnect. "Our motto at Unplug and Reconnect is 'Love Technology... Love People More!'.
"Technology allows us to be more efficient and productive, which should translate to having more time for loved ones. Yet, too often, we become preoccupied with technology, spending more and more of our free time with it."
Day to Disconnect is about awareness, to help start the conversation on technology dependence. "Do we think that a few hours can make a difference? Yes, we do," says Dr. Geliebter. "Certainly, an hour is only a first step, but based on the overwhelming response to the campaign, people are looking for the permission to unplug."
Register your hours of unplugging at www.unplugreconnect.com and refer the campaign to your family and friends using the "Send to Friends" feature.
(GK/BMcC)