Katelyn Wilburn, Campus Carrier opinions editor
College kids are always busy with studying, working and extracurriculars. How do we find time for connection with others?
Although social media is an amazing technological advancement, it impacts us in negative ways every day. Being over connected causes disconnection in face-to-face interaction. Individuals are prioritizing convenience over meaningful conversations. This causes physical, social and mental disconnection from the world, and there must be prioritization of in-person interaction rather than entertainment on technology. There are many opportunities to do this on campus — from clubs to sporting events, Berry gives students many chances to make direct connections in fun ways. If students place focus on face-to-face conversation, social situations will show deep meaning and mental health will signifigantly improve, helping to close the gap of the lonlieness epidemic.
Oftentimes when walking around campus, many students are nose deep their phones, hardly paying attention to where they are going. At first this seems like a silly issue, but what happens when they really aren’t coordinated enough to text and walk? Careless collision occurs between students, scooters, bikes and more. Berry is a lively campus, and the chances of colliding with another student are already high when aware of the surrounding commotion. Even if one can walk and text, should they really want to? Berry is full of beauty and life that is ignored when someone would rather scroll on social media. Memes can be pretty entertaining, but the Krannert cats are just as cute as the ones you find on your phone.
Social media is an amazingly convenient way to cut off in-person contact. It’s so easy to text friends or swipe up on their stories, but it’s difficult to justify when they are sitting across from you at the dining hall. Technology can be awesome when away from others and there is a need to share experiences from afar, but this over connection online causes a lack of topics to talk about when in present moments together. Texting is good for making plans to hang out, but don’t let texting itself be your hangout. The goal is to use technology to better communicate, not to inhibit our social skills.
Technology addiction also impacts mental health, as the overstimulation from screens causes sleeping difficulties and increased stress levels. The National Institute of Health says that excess blue-light exposure can lead to severe sleep loss, emotional distress, depression and memory dysfunction. Late nights in bed scrolling through brain rot often leads to more mental distress than one initially might think. When constantly stimulating your brain with the bright lights on screens, it is difficult to wind down after a long day. It is ultimately better to turn off technology when laying down at night. Sleep is the basis of health, and it is already scarce for busy students.
Along with this, technology addiction can seriously get in the way of student priorities. Mindlessly scrolling is a easy fix to substitute studying. Procrastination is a struggle that plagues the majority of indivuals, and technology is usually its main vessel. But technology can distract involuntarily as well. Most of the time, people fall into a rabbit hole of video after video, chasing the releif of outside pressures without realising it. Who can blame them? Social media is meant to be fun and eye catching — its job is to distract.
Overall, technology usage must decrease to improve physical interaction, social for students and mental health. Some ways students can reduce their own technology usage includes setting app timers on their phones with passwords or prioritizing in-person contact with friends when available.
There are moments in the day where a choice arises to either get on Instagram, TikTok or Yik Yak instead of asking your friends how their day was. But, instead of mindlessly scrolling, choose the option of creating meaningful social connection with peers.