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- Could you give up your smartphone for a month?
- Dairy brand Siggi's is giving a few lucky winners $10,000 if they can go without theirs for a month.
- They'll lock their smartphones in a box and use flip phones in the meantime. Here's how to enter.
If you've ever wanted to try a digital detox, Siggi's is offering an appealing incentive to give it a shot.
The maker of Icelandic skyr yogurt will give a handful of people $10,000 each in exchange for giving up their smartphones for a month.
The contest is open to legal residents in the US who are at least 18 years old and have access to the internet. It's free to enter, and it closes on January 31.
To enter, you'll need to write an essay between 100 and 500 words explaining why you need a digital detox and how you'd benefit from it, as well as how it aligns with Siggi's philosophy that "live simple and less sets you free," according to the official contest rules.
The essays will then be scored, and 10 winners will be chosen.
Seventy percent of the score will be determined by how clearly the essay shows "how the participant will use the time during the digital detox to live a simpler life, understanding that 'less sets you free' also means less time spent on smartphones could lead to a more rewarding and free life." Another 20% will be based on creativity and originality, and the final 10% of the score will come down to "authentic expression in the essay of commitment to the challenge."
Each of the 10 winners will receive a $10,000 check, a lockbox to store their smartphone in for the month, a "dumb" phone to use in the meantime along with a SIM card and a prepaid talk-and-text plan for the month, and a three months' supply of Siggi's yogurt.
Outside of any contest, some smartphone users have turned to "dumb" phones that only allow calling and texting in an effort to cut back on their screen time.
Siggi's has had other contests before centered on living simpler.
In 2022, Siggi's hired for a freelance role it called Chief Simplicity Offi-skyr, riffing off of the name of traditional Icelandic yogurt, skyr. The gig came with $50,000 to move to Iceland and take up a four-day workweek.
Find more information about Siggi's latest challenge here.