Del Oro softball team trades smartphones for flip phones in digital detox fundraiser
LOOMIS -- The Del Oro High School girls' softball team is taking on a challenge most teens would find impossible: giving up their smartphones for an entire month.
In an effort to raise awareness about social media's impact on mental health, the players are swapping their devices for flip phones.
The varsity softball team received their flip phones, technology they thought had long been forgotten.
"It's scary to think you're not going to have a phone, technology, or social media for 30 days," said senior player Delaney Osborne.
For the next month, these old-school devices will be their only connection with no apps, no scrolling, and no distractions.
But there's more to this campaign than just a digital detox. The team faces another challenge: playing in the dark. Their softball field has no lights, meaning most practices and games take place off-campus.
Jennifer Christiansen, the driving force behind the initiative, saw an opportunity to solve two problems with one campaign – raising money for new field lights while helping teens reconnect with life beyond their screens.
"I feel like we've kind of lost our teenage adolescence to the cyberworld. I just want to bring them back and I just want everyone to look up," Christiansen said.
The team's 30-day detox kicks off Friday with an auction and fundraiser, partnering with the San Francisco Giants' mental health team. The event will feature keynote speakers, including Giants pitcher Logan Webb, and a chance to bid on memorabilia.
Del Oro head coach Sean Erickson believes this experience will be transformative.
"I know when they get out of this at the back end, they're going to be even better for it," Erickson said.