A simple noise…a ding, a swoosh, a chime, a ringtone or the pulse of airdrop causes a reaction that immediately disconnects us from the real life moment we are experiencing. In a split second, we decided to diverted from all sensory in order to check a status or dig deeper into another person’s life.
We laugh roughly 15 times a day and we check our smartphones 10 times more than that. (Source: Internet Trends, Kleiner Perkins)
It’s time we learn to UNPLUG and pass that power on to today’s youth. Who’s in with me?
I am one of 20 girls who won the 2019 VS PINK GRL PWR PROJECT . My project is to continue and power up my GIRL TALK Curriculum and GIRL POWER Corporate Camps. My mission: To empower girls to be confident and cyber smart as they face the tough pressures of today’s media driven society. After the excitement of receiving the news from VS PINK, they invited all the winners to their first ever PINK GRL PWR UNPLUGGED retreat in Sedona, Arizona. Part of the deal – turn in your cellphones for an entire weekend. Was I up for the challenge? YES, Please!
Meeting my fellow GRL PWR PROJECT winners was amazing! The food was delicious. The landscape was breathtaking and the conversations were REAL and without disruption. I found myself totally immersing myself into REAL life and the in-the-moment experiences were indescribable. My eyes and mind took in every sensory and those memories are now crisply etched and saved like no photo could ever replicate.
When I was 18 years old I gave a TEDx Talk titled: #TextMe – The Elimination of Human Interaction. Today, I feel even more empowered to do my part to shape the lives of youth by being an example of the importance of face-to-face interactions. Technology has changed our lives. Shopping with 1 click, Groceries delivered with 1 click, weather updates with 1 click, travel directions with 1 click. Technology saves us time in our busy daily lives. All the time we saved can now be used to spend even more time having those face-to-face conversations and taking in all the sensory life has to offer. The evenings spent in Arizona were amazing…I found myself looking up to the stars. Thank you VS PINK for inspiring me to push forward and use technology and social media for good. In the meantime, you can find me empowering girls and creating even more REAL conversations with those important to me in my life.
Lauren ~