The Ultimate High School Challenge
This is your chance to do something truly remarkable during your high school years.
Social Media has rewired adolescent brains resulting in an epidemic of mental illness. The digital detox challenge will reverse that.
Want Proof That Social Media is Bad for Youth?
How It Works
Sign Up
Freshmen at Burley High School can enroll in the Digital Detox Challenge in person at Goode Motor Ford. Dates, times, and more information listed below.
Choose Your Phone Option
You can get a standard flip phone, a Gabb phone (for free), or another approved device.
Stay Off Social Media
The challenge is simple: don’t use social media during high school!
Earn Your Reward
Complete the challenge successfully, and you’ll receive $1,000 in cash as a reward for your commitment.
The Digital Detox Challenge Launch Video
Date & Times Available
- Tuesday, September 10th: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Wednesday, September 11th: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Thursday, September 12th: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Friday, September 13th: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Learn More About The Challenge
What Problem Are We Addressing?
As a foundation, we are alarmed at the detrimental effects of social media on youth. We firmly agree with Jonathan Haidt’s assessment that social media and other technologies have rewired children’s brains and resulted in an epidemic of mental illness. Due to the rise in popularity of social media and the reduction in youth experiencing the “real world,” rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide have risen sharply over the past decade. Parents and schools have been overprotecting children in the real world and underprotecting children in the virtual world. We believe it is time to reverse this trend and save this generation of youth!
The Digital Detox Challenge is a straightforward offer to the entire freshman class at Burley High School:
“If you agree to give up social media from now until December of your senior year, the Goode Foundation will award you $1,000”
It’s that simple! While we support all efforts by governments, schools, parents, and other organizations to curb the use of social media, we hope this incentive based and entrepreneurial effort will encourage students to forgo social media until their brains are mature enough to handle its damaging effects.
Students who accept the Digital Detox Challenge must agree to give up their existing smartphones and use only devices approved by the Goode Foundation. Currently, we have approved the Gabb phone, the Pinwheel phone, and any ‘old school’ flip phone that does not have internet access. We are excited to announce that Gabb has agreed to provide – free of charge – a brand-new Gabb Phone 4 Pro (their best model) to any student who participates in the Digital Detox Challenge (students/parents are responsible for the monthly service, which is ~$35/month). You can read more about that phone by clicking HERE. This phone includes many useful tools allowing students to communicate with family and stay in touch with friends and groups that they participate in. It offers a music streaming service and apps like Band, GroupMe, PowerSchool, LDS Library, and more. You can review all available apps by clicking HERE. We’d also like to thank Gabb for giving each student to do the challenge a free phone.
Both the parent/legal guardian AND the student must enroll in person in the program and agree to the terms and conditions. Each quarter, they must then confirm their continued
participation in the program and adherence to its rules. This process will all be managed through our website DigitalDetoxChallenge.org. On the website, parents and students can
view their enrollment status and participation in the Digital Detox Challenge.
Soon, our website will allow third parties to donate to the Goode Motor Foundation, with the option to earmark that donation for a specific student, or for all students. We hope that
family members and loved ones will add funds to the $1,000 we are offering, creating an even greater incentive for students to participate in the Digital Detox Challenge.
The Goode Foundation aims to provide incentives for youth to reject social media in hopes of reducing adolescent mental illness. While many well-intentioned and helpful proposals exist to address the use of cell phones and social media, we have developed a novel and entrepreneurial approach that has been successful with our own children. We call it the Digital Detox Challenge.
Each student and their parent/guardian must confirm their participation in the Digital Detox Challenge four times per year. While we will monitor social media platforms to verify participation, we acknowledge that students determined to access social media may find ways to do so. Ultimately, we will rely on the honesty of the students and parents. If they agree to the terms and conditions and re-affirm their commitment to the program twelve times over the years, we will disperse the funds. If a student and/or their parent is dishonest about their participation, they will receive the money, and live with that on their conscience for the rest of their lives!
The Goode Motor Foundation will pay each student who completes the Digital Detox Challenge $1,000 on the last day of school before Christmas break in their senior year. We plan to host a grand celebration at that time honoring them with a special graduation-type
event.
By the middle of their senior year, we believe students will be mature enough to understand
the harms of social media. If they choose to use social media after that time, they will be
able to do so while still living at home under the watchful eye of loving parents and other
mentors. We also hope that many will continue to avoid social media even after this date!
We hope so! The Digital Detox Challenge is our response to curb one of the worst epidemics to plague our youth in generations. With limited resources, we must start somewhere. We hope that other organizations will assist with funding and resources,
enabling us to expand the program to other schools and grade levels.
While we are beginning with the freshman class at Burley High School, we would ideally
like to start in the 7
th grade, as too many parents provide their children smartphones with
social media at that stage. If this program proves successful at BHS this year, we plan to expand it next year to younger grades and additional schools.
The Goode Motor Education Foundation (“Goode Foundation”) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization sponsored by the Goode Motor Auto Group and its owners: Matt & Trista Cook, Brandon & Dixie Williams, and Pablo & Sasha Silvaz. Goode Foundation’s mission is to enhance all aspects of education, assisting students, and teachers, and providing various learning opportunities. For examples of the initiatives sponsored by the Goode Foundation, please refer to Goode Motor Education Foundation
Benefits of Going Social Media-Free
- With fewer distractions, you’ll have more time to concentrate on your studies and achieve your academic goals.
- Spend more quality time with friends and family without the constant pull of social media.
- Studies have shown that reducing social media use can lead to better mental health, improved self-esteem, and lower stress levels.
- Use the extra time to develop new hobbies, pursue passions, and discover your true potential.