Roasting chestnuts, decorating the halls and building a snowman are all traditional family-friendly–albeit, not necessarily SoCal-friendly–holiday activities. For years, families with children, old and young, drink hot chocolate under warm blankets that keep the cold winter air at bay.
Nevertheless, in this modern age, these traditions are often interrupted by smart devices and social media.
Last February, I gave up my phone as part of my participation in a semester program, and let me just say, the withdrawal is real. Whether I was walking to get to the train station or in the middle of a conversation, I constantly had the urge to pull out my phone to take a picture or look something up. I would get so far as to reach into my pocket and have a split second of pure panic when I couldn’t find what I was looking for.
As time went by, however, that urge began to lessen. I became more engaged in conversations because I couldn’t use my phone as a buffer. I truly believe that the absence of my phone resulted in more meaningful and deeper relationships. It forced me to embrace the uncomfortable and keep on attempting to connect with people to fill the void.
While it may be hard to put your phone away for even a day, making sure all devices are in another room during dinner is a little effort that can go a long way.
In October, the New York Times covered the impact of a new law in Florida that banned cellphone use by students in the classroom. The article focused on a specific school district, Orange County Public Schools, that extended the ban to the entire school day. School districts across the country are exploring this pathway in order to decrease online distractions as well as online bullying in schools.
But these conditions have received pushback from students and parents for not having a way to communicate with family members in emergencies, which could result in grave consequences. Nevertheless, students have also reported closer interactions with their peers, and teachers have emphasized increased engagement during class time.
Yes, our devices are an essential part of life in the 21st Century, yet it never hurts to go back to the past and focus on in-person interactions.
Furthermore, social media is often another significant obstacle to family-centric time or procrastination in general. Constantly checking social media as a means to avoid difficult or complicated conversations or my homework is definitely something I have done in the past.
Before the first day of school this year, I made the decision to delete the Instagram app from my phone. In the past, I have spent hours scrolling through the app in order to avoid doing my work, as I’m sure many of you can relate. Especially during school hours, when I couldn’t access IG through my computer, I was forced, out of boredom, to actually focus on college essays.
Recently, there has been a lot of attention on the impact of social media on young people’s mental health. In fact, in October, the state of California filed a lawsuit against Instagram and Facebook parent company Meta, accusing the company of violating laws aimed at protecting consumers, particularly the privacy of minors. Several other states, as well as Washington, D.C., have filed other lawsuits against the corporation, as several studies have shown that protracted social media use harms children and their mental health.
Eliminating devices and social media from one’s life takes extreme mental strength and fortitude, yet the absence of technology–even for a short time–could have remarkable effects. During the holidays, even if it is just for a car ride from the airport or to a family member’s house, I encourage everyone to put away their phones or remove a social media app from their phone … just for one day!
The Mainsheet 