A group of Canadian self-confessed geeks is asking concerned citizens to turn off their tech on Saturday 3 May - dubbed "Shutdown Day" - in an attempt to "spread awareness about the pitfalls and dangers that lie in the extended and unnecessary use of, and exposure to television, computers and computing equipment".

The press release explains: "The lives of young children, teenagers, and adults are being dramatically altered by modern technology, which is turning them into social outcasts. The newer generation of people that are addicted to modern technology that substitutes for social interaction are failing to realize that there is indeed a natural physical world out there to be enjoyed."

Shutdown Day was inaugurated in 2007, and the Québec-based organisers say that 1.6 million people participated worldwide. The main thrust of the 2008 campaign is to encourage addicts to go a whole day without their computers, and we advise hopeless junkies to consult a doctor before going cold turkey. ®

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