POPSUGAR

The One Thing That Will Actually Make You Put Down Your Phone

Mar 9 2015 - 7:40am

Source: POPSUGAR Photography

How long can you go without using your phone? That's the question behind the return of UNICEF's initiative called Tap Project [1], which advocates for millions of children around the world who lack clean water. The concept is simple but wildly impactful: every time you log in to the free app, it tracks the time you spend away from your phone. For every 15 minutes you go without touching it, UNICEF and the project's sponsors will provide the funding equivalent of one day of clean water for a child.

Source: UNICEF [2]

UNICEF introduced Tap Project nine years ago and has seen major results [3], but it's hoping that social sharing will dramatically increase involvement this year. "Every day, almost 1,000 children under five die from diseases directly linked to unsafe water or a lack of basic sanitation facilities," said Caryl M. Stern, president and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "Last year, more than 2.6 million people visited UnicefTapProject.org [4], then put their phones down to help provide clean water to children. We are working to inspire even more Americans this year to unplug and unlock the clean water that children need to survive and be healthy."

We're the first to admit that we're addicted to our phones [5], but this is an incentive we can get behind. After all, National Unplugging Day — yep, that's a thing — is on Friday, March 6. If you need a little practice disconnecting, start with our helpful seven-day smartphone detox [6]. We're all in this together.


Source URL
https://www.popsugar.com/tech/UNICEF-Tap-Project-37010520