Disconnecting with technology and celebrating reality is the new age concept that has taken many – especially the millennials – by storm! We are living in the most exciting era where technology and human integration is definitely going hand-in-hand with the former invading our lives more than ever before. Thanks to brilliant technology and the way the world is moving fast, society is looking to redirect itself and bring a balance into their daily lifestyles. Terms like Digital Detox, Anti-Tech are cropping up and leaving us curious about how one should stay in the present reality.

The daily scenario of having your phone on you 24×7 and even placing it next to you while at the dinner table having meals is keeping this generation on a radar of going far away from reality and healthy relationship building – both with themselves and with those close to them. The addiction to technology has worsened at such a rapid pace in just one lifetime that people have forgotten how to stay and react in real life situations.

Keeping this fact in mind, Chick A-Fil – a fast food joint chain of restaurants – has rolled out a challenge called ‘Cell Phone Coop Challenge’, for all the diners visiting this restaurant. The initiative encourages customers leave their phones and be in the present, enjoying the essence of their meals and family-time. The experiment aims to get people talking to each other instead of texting or scrolling through their social media pages while eating by placing boxes called ‘cell phone coops’. Those who successfully leave their phones untouched during throughout the entire meal, get rewarded with a complimentary ice-cream. The Initiative that was started in stores this January, gained popularity at such a pace that it has now spread to nearly 200 Chick-fil-A locations across different countries!

While this food chain is embracing the concept of rewarding customers with free food, there have been some other restaurants undertaking similar initiatives over several years now, Bedivere Eatery & Tavern situated in Lebanon, offers a 10 percent discount to people who check their phones at the door and before it closed and Los Angeles’ based Eva Restaurant took 5 percent off the bill of customers who were willing to leave their phone at the host stand during dinner.