One Week Without Smartphones on a College Campus
The New York Times••nation
Key Points:
- In early December, fliers titled “THE WORLD W/Out A PHONE” appeared around St. John’s College in Santa Fe, promoting a six-day smartphone and internet device abstinence challenge.
- The initiative was described as a period of fasting, self-study, and a challenge, encouraging students to disconnect from digital distractions.
- Participants were invited to gather at Murchison dorm at 6 p.m. to begin the experience, where Mary Claire Fagan, a junior, was preparing food and facilitating the event.
- Fagan and other students expressed a common desire to take breaks from their phones but found the idea of disconnecting daunting due to feelings of inconvenience and isolation.
