How March for Our Lives is Creating a Safer America

March For Our Lives was created by students in the days following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida just over two years ago. The youth-led movement organizes young people in all 50 states to enact lifesaving gun violence prevention policies and record-breaking youth voter turnout. In 2018, March For Our Lives made history by organizing the nation’s largest protest against gun violence and mobilizing an unprecedented young voter turnout in the midterm election. With this critical contribution from CREDO, we can do it again in 2020. 

On March 24th, 2018, young people organized over 800 marches in cities worldwide, calling attention to the solvable gun violence epidemic in the United States. The day of action marked the largest protest against gun violence in our nation’s history, and the tsunami of activism that created and followed it became known as the largest youth movement since the Vietnam War era. March For Our Lives forever changed the conversation about guns in America, raising awareness for a critical issue that had been largely ignored in politics. 

In the summer of 2018, March For Our Lives led the Road To Change, a 60 day bus tour visiting 80 communities in 24 different states, with the goal of registering and mobilizing young people to vote. Students from communities across the country including Chicago, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Houston, Newtown, and others joined Parkland survivors on the bus tour, recognizing that a movement combatting an intersectional issue like gun violence deserves intersectional representation. The results were astronomical. 

2018 was all about making noise and drumming up enthusiasm for civic engagement and life saving policies. In 2019, MFOL focused on training and strengthening our chapter organizations across the nation- laying the groundwork for an even bigger impact in the 2020 election. But we can’t do it alone. That’s why we need your help!

We don’t have to remind you that things are far from normal. March For Our Lives, like everyone else, has had to restructure some of our 2020 plans for civic engagement to accommodate virtual tactics for mobilization. Luckily, digital organizing has always been one of March For Our Lives’ greatest strengths. Generous CREDO funding has helped MFOL achieve great heights and create meaningful social, political and cultural change before. With your help, we can make an even bigger splash in the critical months to come. 

Thanks in part to the last donation from CREDO, MFOL has made huge strides in the gun violence prevention movement in recent months. Some major highlights include:

  • Launched Our Power, MFOL’s 2020 campaign to start the next chapter of our journey; sharpening our focus, harnessing our intersectionality and giving meaning to enough is enough. 
  • Organized the 2020 Gun Safety Forum, a historic forum in Las Vegas, NV featuring every leading Democratic presidential candidate’s discussion on the policies they think will end this nation’s gun violence epidemic.
  • Filed an amicus brief in a Supreme Court case that could have expanded gun rights and invalidated lifesaving laws already on the books. We rallied outside the Supreme Court to proclaim our right to not be shot, and we won- the court dismissed the case just a few weeks ago.

We’re not slowing down, either. March For Our Lives is still committed to leading a record-breaking youth voter turnout in the 2020 election, while remaining responsible and safe during the pandemic. We’ve organized a series of digital hubs, inclusive online spaces and virtual rallies, directly engaging with young voters across the country to ensure a safe, fair, and historic election is top of mind. Our Digital Hubs have hosted a number of exciting special guests to commend the inspiring work MFOL activists are managing to do while at home, including March For Our Lives founders, elected officials who are championing the gun violence prevention movement, as well as musical artists and entertainment. The hubs are packed with programming for young activists and people looking to make a change from their own living rooms. Activities like phone banking, workshops, trainings and even yoga and mindfulness exercises are all offered as part of the program!

March For Our Lives has the people, platform and plans to make big things happen in the future, but it requires all hands on deck. The unfortunate reality is that one public health crisis does not stop for another, which is why we’re doubling down now to create necessary change. With your help, we can ensure a safer America.

How to stay productive on your phone while staying at home

Your phone, tablet and other devices are great for keeping you productive during the pandemic. They give you so many ways to connect with friends, family and co-workers and provide a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips.

But your devices are a double-edged sword at times, serving as an unnecessary (or much-needed) distraction, especially if you’re using them to procrastinate when you’re otherwise looking to stay productive.

Whether you’re someone fortunate enough to work from home, or you’re out of work, retired or simply social distancing, here are some tips to stay productive on your phone and devices while you’re at home.

 

Switch to Wi-Fi

This is a top suggestion when our members call our support lines. If you have a broadband connection at home, we suggest you turn on Wi-Fi in your device settings. You’ll not only save on your data usage, but you also may have a faster internet connection while using your phone.

To turn on Wi-Fi on your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Wi-Fi > toggle the Wi-Fi button. Choose and enter the password for your home Wi-Fi network.

On an Android device, go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi. Turn on Wi-Fi, then choose and enter the password for your home Wi-Fi network.

 

Online classes

Have some spare time on your hands? This might be a great time to learn a new skill or take a course online, right from your device. 

If you’re looking to take an educational class or even obtain an online certificate or degree, a number of websites, some free of charge, have you covered. edX, started by MIT and Harvard, gives you access to 2000 free online courses from 140 institutions with topics ranging from humanities, computer science, business and more, and offer certificates and degrees for a fee. The completely free Khan Academy offers K-12 classes, coursework and test prep for all ages.

 

More self-enrichment

Your phone or tablet aren’t just gateways to standard coursework, either.

Masterclass offers dozens of classes ranging from cooking, photography, musical instruments, science, politics, writing and more — all taught by experts and celebrity instructors in their fields.

Babbel, Duolingo, Pimsleur and many other apps offer you the chance to learn a new language, free or for a monthly fee. Here’s a list of 11 apps to check out.

Looking to cook better meals while at home? Apps like Tasty (iOS and Android), How to Cook Everything (by Mark Bittman), America’s Test Kitchen, and the New York Times Cooking App will give you new recipes and skills in the kitchen.

 

Remove immediate triggers from your home screen

Do you unlock your phone and immediately open Facebook or Instagram, then wonder what happened to the last 15 minutes? It’s a common behavior, and it can be counter-productive.

If you tend to get easily distracted by apps on your phone when you have other tasks (work, for instance), try removing the apps from your home screen that you always launch by default when you unlock your device. This way, you will prevent yourself from accidentally falling down a rabbit hole of social media scrolling.

 

Write letters to voters

As a CREDO member, you might be more politically active than most. But with the pandemic preventing protests, canvassing, marches and other in-person forms of civic engagement and activism, we’re left with few outlets to express our progressive values.

Here’s one way to remain active: Writing letters to other voters. The non-profit project Vote Forward enables regular people to send actual letters to help register voters from under-represented demographics and encourage them to vote — right from their home. According to the organization, letter writing is “one of the easiest things you can do to increase turnout” and “meaningfully increases the odds that the recipient will vote.” Check out and sign up for Vote Forward here.

 

Take a break

Sometimes the best way to stay productive on your phone is to take a break from it. One study found that “the mere presence of a cell phone, even when ignored, reduces people’s intellectual acuity, possibly because it takes a distracting level of mental effort to resist the pull of a nearby phone.” 

So if you can, take a socially-distanced walk outside, do some stretching, anything as a break from your devices. Here are some additional reasons to consider taking a break from your screens from the Greater Good Magazine at UC Berkeley.

5 great shows and movies to stream today on Apple TV+

If you’re like a lot of us here at CREDO, you’re probably watching a lot of streaming TV these days. With the current stay-at-home guidelines in place to keep everyone safe, you might be catching up on a lot of series, documentaries and movies that you missed before the pandemic.

With all the streaming options now available, there’s a lot of great content to choose from. And we’d like to suggest a newer service you should consider, too: Apple TV+, the company’s long-awaited streaming service, which launched late last year.

Priced at a competitive $4.99 a month and available across Apple devices, smart TVs and other streaming media, Apple TV+ hosts a bundle of original programming for all your streaming needs, with the company adding more new content weekly. We’ve compiled a few great shows and movies available right now on Apple TV+.

 

Little America

According to Apple TV+, Little America is an “anthology series that observes the funny, romantic, heartfelt, inspiring, and surprising stories of immigrant America.” The series tells the funny and sometimes heartbreaking stories of eight immigrants to the United States, based on real-life biographies collected by Epic magazine. The Guardian calls Little America Apple TV+’s best show yet.

Watch Little America on Apple TV+ here.

 

Oprah’s Book Club

 

If you’re living life in quarantine, you may have joined a book club. We even suggested a few tips to start your own. You’ve probably also heard of Oprah’s famous and long-running book club that elevated the works and careers of dozens of authors. In Apple TV+’s rendition, Oprah again handpicks the books and conducts one-on-one interviews with famous authors about their lives and recent works. The first episode, American Dirt, “ignited a backlash” after Oprah decided to move forward with her interview, despite the author and book receiving harsh criticism for portraying racist stereotypes of immigrants.

Watch Oprah’s Book Club on Apple TV+ here.

 

Hala

 

A different kind of coming of age drama we hardly see portrayed, “Hala”, the title character played by Geraldine Viswanathan, follows the story of a seventeen-year old Muslim American high school senior, her relationship with her Pakistani-American parents and her self-discovery in and outside her family. The Los Angeles Times calls Hala “a culturally specific tale with universal appeal,” and Rolling Stone says it’s a “beautifully personal portrait of growing pains.” The film is rated R and runs for 1 hour and 34 minutes.

Watch Hala on Apple TV+ here.

 

The Elephant Queen

 

This beautiful and riveting documentary follows Athena, the “queen” elephant whose tusk can reach the ground, and her herd of elephants across the savanna in Kenya, raising a family and searching for water during a drought. While the film is meant for a younger audience, it’s definitely an all-ages documentary and scores an impressive 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed by wildlife documentarians Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble and narrated by Oscar-nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Watch The Elephant Queen on Apple TV+ here.

 

Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth

 

Based on the New York Times best-selling children’s book by Oliver Jeffers, this heartwarming animated short, narrated by Meryl Streep, follows a curious young boy on the eve of Earth Day discovering the natural wonders of the Earth and the bonds between parents and children. Recommended for people ages 4 and up and runs for 30 minutes. 

Watch Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth on Apple TV+ here.

CREDO donates to groups fighting hunger on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic

Millions of Americans face food insecurity every day, and unfortunately, it’s getting a lot worse during the coronavirus pandemic.

Before the crisis, more than 37 million people were living with food insecurity. Now, another 17 million could face hunger in the coming months. More than 18 million children — 1 out of every 4 — could be food insecure. Food banks and the federal SNAP program (formerly food stamps) are overwhelmed, and with unemployment at historic levels, the numbers of hungry Americans will continue to rise.

That’s why CREDO is extending our COVID-19 relief donations to three additional, community-based organizations fighting hunger on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic: Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, and Citymeals on Wheels (in NY).

These donations to frontline hunger organizations — an additional $5,000 each week for three weeks — are above and beyond our monthly giving to nonprofit groups. Last month, we established a COVID-19 Relief Fund with a $75,000 donation split between Mercy Corps, National Domestic Workers Alliance and World Central Kitchen. These donations are thanks to CREDO members who use our products and services every day. And like all our donations, these gifts are given at no extra cost to our customers. 

Here’s a little bit more about these three great groups helping to fight hunger and food insecurity during this crisis:

 

Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

One in five people face food insecurity in Los Angeles County, and coronavirus is disproportionately impacting lower-income communities. School closures, changes in work schedules and social isolation are layering extra burdens on our neighbors throughout Los Angeles County. The LA Regional Food Bank is working hard to meet the needs of those impacted by coronavirus, as well as individuals who typically need assistance. 

 

Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana

Hundreds of thousands of Louisianans have filed unemployment claims in recent weeks, and many of them are seeking emergency food assistance, often for the first time. The immediate need for food has increased by more than 40 percent. According to the organization, the response will go on for months, and the economic impacts could last for long after the pandemic subsides.

 

Citymeals on Wheels (in NY)

As the designated emergency responder for New York City’s seniors, Citymeals is delivering 450,000 meals in response to the Coronavirus outbreak. Donations will help guarantee a continuous lifeline of nourishing meals during this crisis to more than 18,000 homebound elderly New Yorkers.

How to Celebrate Mother’s Day While Social Distancing

For many of us, Mother’s Day is about flowers, brunches, and of course, honoring the amazing women in our lives. But did you know that the history of Mother’s Day is steeped in activism and peace? 

Even before Anna Jarvis, who is credited with the campaign to convince Congress and President Woodrow Wilson to declare the second Sunday in May “a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country,” poet and activist Julia Ward Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation” in 1870, then declared a “Mother’s Day for Peace” to call for the end of state-sponsored violence. Today, anti-war groups like the Granny Peace Brigade organize around Mother’s Day to promote peace.

This year’s Mother’s Day will be different — lacking both in-person brunches and in-person activism — but there are still ways to cherish, love and honor all the great women in our lives. Here are a few tips to celebrate Mother’s Day during the coronavirus pandemic while social distancing.

Doorstep breakfast

This year, going out for a meal is most likely out of the question, and if you are socially distanced from your mom, grandmother, daughter, aunt or other family at the moment, breakfast in bed isn’t an option, either. 

But here’s a great alternative if you live nearby: dropping off a surprise meal at her doorstep. Choose some foods that you know she likes — including foods that still taste good if they get cold — and drop them off outside her door. 

Order a delivery meal

Live away from your family members or don’t have the time or the groceries to prep a meal? Order a meal delivered to her home. Many local restaurants have remained open during the pandemic and offer curb-side pickup and delivery. 

The Pineapple Collaborative and food delivery platform Caviar have teamed up to highlight women-powered restaurants because there’s “never been a more crucial time to support restaurants operated/owned/cheffed by women.” Check out their featured take out and delivery options for major metro areas across the country.

Call ahead or check online now to reserve a time, since the establishment may be very busy. And, if you can, please offer to tip the delivery person well.

Make a donation in her name

Nonprofit organizations right now are feeling the financial strain of the pandemic and are in critical need of grassroots donations to keep their operations running and their staff employed, especially those providing important frontline services to people directly affected by the pandemic. Many allow you to make a donation in the name of someone else.

Not sure where to donate? Mercy Corps, National Domestic Workers Alliance and World Central Kitchen are three great organizations working on coronavirus relief, to which CREDO members helped us recently donate $75,000.

For a Mother’s Day-themed donation, consider giving in her name to organizations fighting for women’s rights. Right now, right-wing lawmakers are playing politics with the pandemic to restrict access to abortion, which will disporportionately affect low-income women, women of color and women who live in rural areas. Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America are two CREDO allies of many we’d recommend who are doing important work to protect reproductive freedom during the pandemic.

Drive By Celebration

Just because we’re social distancing doesn’t mean we can’t be close by. Many people have recently taken to the drive-by birthday to celebrate the occasion. Why not a Mother’s Day drive by? If you live in the vicinity of your loved one, decorate your vehicle — or just yourself, if you live in an urban area — with signs and balloons at a safe distance to show your love for her.

Seriously, just call her

Mother’s Day doesn’t have to be about lavish gifts or big shows of affection. We’d bet the wonderful women in your life would just love to talk. Try out a video app — we have a blog post recommending four free video apps to use — to get connected on Mother’s Day. Or just dial her number the old fashioned way.

Vote for March for Our Lives, Water.org and Win Without War this May

Every month, CREDO members vote to distribute our monthly donation to three incredible progressive causes – and every vote makes a difference. This May, you can support groups fighting for gun violence prevention, clean water and peace by voting to fund March for Our Lives, Water.org and Win Without War.

March for Our Lives

March for Our Lives organizes young people in all 50 states to enact lifesaving gun violence prevention policies, to bring accountability to the gun industry and complacent lawmakers, and to transform the debate around guns in America. 

Funding from CREDO will help MFOL to do digital and on-the-ground organizing to engage young people in the civic process and to educate stakeholders on MFOL’s Peace Plan for a Safer America, its policy platform to halve gun deaths in ten years.

Water.org

1 in 9 people lack access to safe water. Water.org exists to change this. Water.org empowers people in need with access to small, affordable loans for water and sanitation solutions at home – unlocking education, economic opportunity and improved health.

Support from CREDO will help fuel Water.org’s smart solutions and expand its impact so together we can change more lives with access to safe water and sanitation – giving women hope, children health and families a bright future.

Win Without War

Win Without War is building a global movement for change, rooted in solidarity and our shared values of justice, equality, and security for all through a diverse network of activists and organizations.

No matter who is in the White House, the threats are deep and multifaceted. A grant from CREDO will help Win Without War plan, build, and meet these challenges by growing the power of progressives to win on foreign policy and national security. 

Your vote this month will determine how we divide our monthly donation among these three progressive groups. Be sure to cast your vote to support one, two or all three by May 31.

CREDO members who use our products and services everyday are the reason we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile and CREDO Energy and join our movement.

Our April grantees thank you for your support

Each month, CREDO members vote on how we distribute funding to three incredible nonprofits. Those small actions add up – with one click, you can help fund groups fighting for human rights, climate justice and immigrant rights. In April, over 60,000 CREDO members voted to distribute our monthly donation to Amnesty International, Earthjustice and United We Dream Action.

These donations are made possible by CREDO customers and the revenue they generate by using our services. The distribution depends entirely on the votes of CREDO members like you. And for that, our April grant recipients thank you.


Amnesty International
$48,554

“Thank you for your commitment to human rights around the world and in the US. The ongoing support of supporters like the CREDO community is essential in Amnesty International USA’s ongoing fight to protect and advance human rights globally.” – Danny McGregor, Chief Operating Officer

To learn more, visit amnestyusa.org

 

Earthjustice
$57,751

“Thank you for your support! CREDO members like you help Earthjustice represent hundreds of clients, free-of-charge, to hold the government and polluters accountable. Together, we defend human and environmental health for generations to come.” – Abigail Dillen, President

To learn more, visit earthjustice.org.

 

United We Dream Action
$43,694

“Thank you! United We Dream Action is deeply grateful to the CREDO members who share our vision of an equitable world, where there is justice, dignity and opportunity for all immigrants and communities of color in the US.” – Cristina Jiménez Moreta, Executive Director & Co-Founder

To learn more, visit unitedwedreamaction.org.

Now check out the three groups we are funding in May, and cast your vote to help distribute our donations.

CREDO members who use our products are the reason why we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile, the carrier with a conscience.

CREDO Tip: Your phone is dirty. Here’s how to clean it.

It’s a gross reality: Our phones are filthy. We touch dirty surfaces all day while checking email and social media. We cough and sneeze on our devices. And, don’t be shy, we probably bring our phones into the bathroom, too.

Studies show that our phones carry around 17,000 bacteria per square inch — 10 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. As public health experts repeatedly remind us to wash our hands and avoid touching our faces during the coronavirus pandemic, sanitizing our phones is another good way to keep our hands and fingers clean during this outbreak.

The CDC considers phones “high touch surfaces” that require frequent cleaning, so now is probably a great time to start disinfecting our phones on the regular. Here are some tips to clean your phone.

Prevention: Wash your hands & avoid touching your face

A great way to clean your phone is to keep it from getting too dirty in the first place. That means ensuring your hands stay clean throughout the day and that you try your best to avoid touching your face.

While the CDC acknowledges that you may be able to contract COVID-19 from touching surfaces and touching your face, it’s not thought to be the way the virus spreads. However, the agency reminds us that the virus may remain viable for hours and up to days on some surfaces, so taking precautions to wash your hands with soap and water and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth will help keep your phone clean.

Disinfect your devices

Now it’s time to clean your phone or tablet. Unplug and power down your device. Use a good, lint-free microfiber or lens cleaning cloth to remove oil and fingerprints. If your phone case is waterproof, wash it thoroughly with soap and water and let it dry completely.

Don’t spray any disinfecting liquids directly on your device, as they may damage your device or its coating. The liquid may also find its way into open spaces that aren’t sealed completely and could damage your phone or tablet. Instead, dampen the corner of your cloth in your cleaning solution and gently wipe your phone.

Apple suggests using 70 percent isopropyl alcohol or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes (which may be in short supply in your area), but avoid bleach and don’t submerge your phone in liquids. Here are additional detailed instructions from Apple depending on the model of your device.

Samsung also recommends using a “hypochlorous acid-based solution (containing 50-80ppm) or an alcohol-based solution (containing more than 70% ethanol or isopropyl alcohol)” gently applied to your device using a microfiber cloth. Android Central has some additional tips on cleaning and disinfecting your Android phone, including phone cleaning kits and disinfectant wipes. Sammobile has a detailed guide on cleaning your phone to protect against coronavirus. 

Ultraviolet Light

Donald Trump caused a firestorm recently when he very wrongly and dangerously suggested that ingesting disinfectants or using UV light on the human body could kill coronavirus. Health experts quickly issued statements condemning Trump’s deadly advice.

However, UV light can be used to kill germs on surfaces. According to the National Academies of Sciences, UV light can “probably” kill the virus that causes COVID-19, as it’s been proven to kill other coronaviruses in the past. 

Many manufacturers of UV light sanitizers have seen a huge uptick in sales recently, but how do they work? Philip Tierno, a clinical professor in the department of pathology at NYU’s Langone Medical Center, says that UV-C light “has a range of effectiveness, which interferes and destroys the nucleic acids of bacteria and other microbes” and works best on smooth surfaces. He warns that if a device has buttons, nooks or food particles, they may not be sanitized.

Interested in purchasing a UV light sanitizer? Here’s a rundown of some popular models from NBC News.

 

Download our one-of-a-kind climate justice posters

For more than 30 years, CREDO has been fighting alongside our environmental allies for cleaner air and water, a green economy and just and equitable climate solutions. Our members have generated tens of millions of actions for our environment, helped organize hundreds of protests, and our employees — including our co-founder — have been arrested for standing up for our climate.

CREDO members, who use our CREDO Mobile and CREDO Energy products every day, have helped us donate more than $19 million to organizations working for climate justice. 

Since we can’t take to the streets to fight for a cleaner planet like before, show your climate justice pride by downloading our one-of-a-kind posters!

Download: Climate Signs x 3 Ladies – 11×17

Download: CO2 x LaCroix – 11×17

Download: Frack off Gasholes – 11×17

Download: Hotter than my imaginary boyfriend – 11×17

Download: Climate Justice Donations – 11×17

Download: Lady Bird Johnson Quote – 11×17

CREDO Tip: Buying refurbished technology to help the planet

While this Earth Week has been like none other in history, the global community has been so resourceful and resilient in finding ways to celebrate 50 years of Earth Day.

From virtual celebrations to countless online resources, activists and progressives across the planet are proving how committed we all are to slowing the climate crisis and fighting for clean air, water and a green energy economy.

Looking for more ways to help the planet this week and decrease your carbon footprint? Think about buying refurbished technology — previously owned items like tablets, cell phones and laptops that have been restored to like-new conditions, many with warranties. Not only will you save some green, but you’ll help keep the planet green, too. Here are some benefits to consider when you’re looking to buy refurb tech.

Environmentally Friendly

We all know the old refrain, “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.” Now you can add a fourth: Refurbished.

By purchasing refurbished technology, you’re reducing your impact on the planet by quite a lot. For starters, you’re cutting the energy and resources that it takes to create that new computer or cell phone. According to a study by the United Nations, manufacturing just one desktop computer requires “48 pounds of chemicals, 1.7 tons of water, and 529 pounds of fossil fuels—about 10 times the weight of the computer itself.” The U.N. also found that while modern computers are more energy efficient, four-fifths of a computer’s lifetime energy consumption is used when the item itself is produced.

By purchasing refurbished, you’re also reducing the amount of toxic e-waste you put back into the environment. In 2016 alone, the United States generated 6.9 million tons of e-waste — 42 pounds per person — and only a tiny fraction is recycled, with most ending up in landfills. Americans throw away a staggering 416,000 cell phones every day. That’s 151.8 million cell phones ending up in the 2,500 landfills scattered across America every year, with the potential of toxic substances seeping into land and water ways. Imagine if a bigger fraction of those cell phones were fixed and refurbished!

Competitive Prices

In addition to being environmentally friendly, another big reason to consider buying refurbished technology is cost. 

Fixing, replacing parts and ensuring a gently-used product is more or less “like new” is a lot less expensive than creating a brand new product. Those savings are passed on to the consumer. When some device models cost over $1,000, the refurbished version of that same model can be a great alternative.

Digital Equity

Refurbished and reused technology can also be considered a tool for digital equity to help bridge the digital divide, the gulf between the privileged who can readily access technology and those who can’t. 

The act of buying pre-owned and refurbished technology helps break down a “culture of new,” a stigma which pervades consumer culture. Local nonprofits that serve low-income people rely on governments and corporations to donate much of its used tech to help close the digital divide, yet consumer technology (referenced above) ends up in landfills. We can do our part to help change this culture by donating our old technology and purchasing refurbished technology, too.

What To Look For 

Now that you’ve decided to buy a refurbished product, what should you look for before you make a purchase?

First, try to determine how the seller defines “refurbished.” According to Consumer Reports, different manufacturers define the term in different ways, and that has an impact on what comes inside the box. Apple sells refurbished products with new batteries, shell, charger and even a brand new box. Samsung is similar, promising original condition products with “a detailed, top-down inspection of every feature and function.” Other manufacturers or products may not come with new batteries or charging cables, so check before you purchase.

Next, try to find products that are “certified pre-owned” to ensure you’re buying a device that meets the manufacturer’s highest standard of refurbishment. Then make sure you’re covered with a warranty or service plan.

Ready to buy?

If you’re ready to help do your part to save the planet — and save some money — by purchasing a refurbished device, you’re in luck! Shop our smartphone selection and save on a new phone while supporting progressive causes, at no extra cost to you!