America’s second National Day of Unplugging (NDU), which takes place on 4th - 5th March 2011, has a mobile phone application to encourage non-use of mobile phones.
The event is being coordinated by Reboot, a group that’s trying to reinvent Jewish culture and traditions for the 21st Century. Reboot suggests that everyone - regardless of background or religion - can benefit from taking a day off to relax and ‘unplug’ from their working week. Its free Sabbath Manifesto application, which encourages people to observe a weekly day of rest by avoiding technology, is available for the iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and other smartphones.
Lou Cove, executive director at Reboot, said “No program we have ever launched has had as much resonance with a mass audience as the National Day of Unplugging. People are craving a discrete, sanctioned moment in time to unplug from technology. They are seeking permission to disconnect without fear of missing an urgent work email or a breaking news story, and to return to what's most essential in their lives: community, meaning and belonging.”
A number of museums in the USA are offering special NDU deals for customers who put their phones into a special sleeping bag when they arrive.