empty day

Dear ,

Empty Day is a day of social media silence taking place on October 12, 2019.

It’s a day we all agree to leave social media alone. Instead we agree to connect, reconnect, and maybe even go outside ... we “go quietly” for a day. There are 65 days until Empty Day.

But Empty Day doesn’t disregard social media altogether. Empty Day is also a website, www.emptyday.todaythis website, where you’ll also find tools, assignments, and readings for how to use these social networks in more relaxing and imaginative ways. We aim to focus attention on how and when we post in order to promote better well-being and mental health for all.

To get involved:

Repost these Empty Day images on social media. (Empty Day is a day of no social media. But in order to make this day actually happen, we need to get the word out on social media. #emptyday) See more Empty Day images for download

Try some of the assignments on this website to encourage more imaginative and relaxing use of social media.
Explore the assignments

Make some plans for October 12th. Organize some kind of offline event for Empty Day; a picnic, a party, a brunch, a concert, etc. Anything so long as a phone isn’t involved.
Add Empty Day to your calendar

We want as many people as possible involved in Empty Day, so please share this website widely. Thank you!

Wind over water,
_day

For more information... www.emptyday.today.

Tools

Leaf social media

Make a leaf avatar

Spread the empty news

Download images

October 12, 2019

How long until _day?

Countdown

Unlock your own empty time!

Key

Assignments

Since Empty Day is not only a day of social media silence but also an effort to use social media in more imaginative and relaxing ways, the below assignments hope to lead you to a more playful, curious relationship with social media.

Leaf

Puddle

0 likes

Account as album

Mirror

Slideshow at home

Play their game

Readings

Kev Bewersdorf

“Reversing the Flow of Internet Expansion”

Jenny Odell

Excerpts from How to Do Nothing

Alain de Botton

“How to Live More Wisely Around Our Phones”

FAQs

Who is behind this?

Empty Day is not a company, charity, or any other organization. It isn’t owned by anybody or anything. We hope it is peaceful, genuine, and full of knowledge. If you want to contact us, write: email@emptyday.today.

Why “Empty Day”?

"Empty Day" is our name for this a day of social media silence on October 12, 2019.

Here's a little backstory: When we first imagined this day, we recalled this special feeling during certain holidays when the streets outside are empty and calm. Not because there’s an apocalypse (fortunately), but because people are together, immersed in gathering and celebrating. So we propose… What if the streets of social media were completely quiet and empty for just one day? Sometimes emptiness allows for something new to begin.

Why October 12th?

October is world mental health month. October 10th is world mental health day. There are clear signs that poor mental health is strongly related to high mobile usage or frequency of social media usage and it felt apt that during a month when we stop to consider our mental health we take a pause, just for one day.

P.S. Feel free to make the 13th October an additional empty day.

How can I support Empty Day?

In the build up to Empty Day tell your friends, tweet, post and let people know you've committed. Then organise a gathering, lunch, cinema visit, football match, walk along the towpath IRL. Get people together and connect. On the day itself - leave social media alone. Leave your phone alone. Disconnect wifi and data.

How can my organization show solidarity with Empty Day?

Commit to leave social media alone for the day.
Use your channels to communicate and spread the word in the build up to the day.
Get your communications team, social media manager to agree to go cold turkey for one day.
Organise an event on the day itself with colleagues and make it 'mobile free'.

__day