Moodoff Day Examines Smartphone Addiction with Worldwide Movement to Disconnect for a Day

SYDNEY, Jan. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The dangers of smartphone addiction are well documented, but few address the problem. Moodoff Day is providing smartphone users around the world with the opportunity to bring awareness to the problem by turning off technology for five hours during International Moodoff Day on Sunday Feb. 24, 2013. This year's slogan is "Smart hours for Smart people without smartphones".

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130117/PH43734LOGO )

"Why is it called Moodoff Day?" asked Tapas Senapati, founder of the movement. "Because when we ask somebody to stop browsing for a minute their entire mood is off. People discuss smartphone addiction, but the true message is getting lost in all the discussion."

The Sydney, Australia-based non-profit organization is asking smartphone users around the globe to stop using their devices for five hours on last Sunday of February. Participants are asked to enjoy a morning without technology by having breakfast and reconnecting with family for a few hours before browsing on their smartphones during Moodoff Day.

The movement has gained support in dozens of countries, from the UK and South Africa to Singapore and the United States. Moodoff Day highlights the obsession many users have with their smartphones and texting while driving. The organization supports the efforts of U.S. residents, Clay and Shauna Sauer, to enact a ban on driving and texting. The couple, now biggest supporters of Moodoff Day campaign, lost their daughter, Taylor, in a horrific accident shortly after she posted a message on Facebook.

In an era of instant communications and a wealth of social media sites, smartphone users are constantly surfing the Web, texting and updating their social media status. Many with an addiction are in denial about their dependency, despite the inability to be separated from their smartphone.

A 2012 survey by the Pew Research Center showed that 46 percent of all adults in the US own a smartphone, with 44 percent exhibited extreme separation anxiety when separated from their phone. Those who have acknowledged their addiction and shelved the phone experienced phantom vibration symptoms.

Much like a drug addict or alcoholic, even though smartphone users are aware that they're endangering their lives by texting and driving, they can't stop. Email, texts and communicating through social networks generate enjoyable feelings, similar to those experienced by gamblers. Those with a smartphone addiction are unable to eat a meal or sit through a movie without checking their mobile device.

The 2013 international Moodoff Day provides participants with the opportunity to experience "Smart hours for Smart people without smartphones." Just five hours is all it takes to raise awareness of the dangers of smartphone addiction and the deadly consequences of texting and driving. It's the perfect time to put down the smartphone, leave the virtual world behind, and reconnect with loved ones in real time.

To get involved, follow the event at http://www.facebook.com/MoodoffDay and https://twitter.com/MoodoffDay.

For more information, visit the website at http://www.moodoffday.org

Sylvia Smith
Tel:253-273-3015
P.O. Box 39022, Lakewood, WA 98496
email: [email protected]

This press release was issued through eReleases® Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE Moodoff Day