SRU Unplugged is a student-forward initiative created by Ava Drath, Alexia Piel, Gavin Benson, Danny Martin, Becca Ruger and Madeleine Kemmick. They are hoping to inspire college students, faculty and the community to reduce their screen time and engage with the world around them.
“I think screen time is definitely a huge thing that we could improve on, trying to build that social interaction outside of being on our phones,” Benson said.
Additionally, SRU Unplugged also wants students and the community to know the health benefits that come with lowering your screen time, such as improved mental, cardiac and sleep health.
Starting Wednesday, Nov. 12 through Wednesday, Nov. 19, the group will be hosting a wellness challenge through Instagram where students will have the chance to win gift cards.
The challenge will be set up like a bingo board; students will enter their name into the draft, choose a spot on the card, complete the task and send in proof to their Instagram.
The board will have a variety of different low/no-cost challenges such as physical, social and mental activities with each spot that students complete equaling one entry.
For an additional challenge, if students can show proof of reducing their weekly screen time by ten percent during the challenge week, they will be rewarded with five entries into the drawing.
On Nov. 21, three people will be chosen from the submissions and given a gift card to a local restaurant or grocery store.
The team is very excited about the student engagement they have already received and hope it continues throughout the challenge.
“We are excited to see how willing students are to give up screen time and to try and improve their overall interactions with society and the environment,” Martin said.
By the end of the challenge, the group hopes to have fifty participants, and 200 followers on their Instagram account.
This event will be a one-off on campus as the group came up with the idea for an in-class project. However, if anyone is interested in taking over the idea of forming a fleshed-out student organization, students can reach out to their Instagram, as they are more than happy about the idea.
