Anyone else notice the tacky, inflatable cell-phones posted on FitRec’s walls recently? Despite the big red “X” across each of these “No Cell Phone Use!” reminders, it’s not unusual to spy someone texting away by the lockers or on the elliptical. After being scolded by a FitRec employee for texting last week, I reluctantly began heeding this new rule. “Crack-berry” withdrawals ensued– a mere phone-less hour at the gym made my fingers itch!
Judging by the hundreds of plugged-in students I see on campus, I’m not the only techno-addict around. If we aren’t texting, we’re online. If we aren’t online, we have our iPods on.
“My mind is always racing,” says Shannon, 19, a Boston University sophomore. “My phone is always by my side…I have Facebook and e-mail on my phone so I have access to them 24/7.“
With the social media constantly at her fingertips, Shannon never has to worry about missing out on the latest news and updates from her friends.
But living in a world where Facebook boasts over 500 million users and the majority of cell phones have been adapted to provide mobile internet access, Shannon, and us other college women, may be missing out on something else: solitude. Does such a thing as “alone time” exist anymore in our world today?
“I prefer to be with people,” said Shannon, who claims that the only time she spends truly alone is while studying or sleeping. “If I get bored, I immediately grab [my phone] and either text or browse the web. If this isn’t enough, I take out my iPod and listen to a few songs.”
“Even during meditation in yoga class, I never find it possible to quiet my mind,” she said.
Freshman Leslie, 19, disagrees.
“You have to work at quieting your mind and relaxing,” said Leslie, who cherishes her alone time.
“I will crash and burn if I don’t have some sort of solitude,” she said. “I try to distance myself from technology daily so that it doesn’t take over my life.”
It seems as though, for a lot of us, “alone time” has become synonymous with technology use of some kind. If we are bored, we watch TV. If we’re bummed, we listen to music. If we are stressed, we watch a favorite movie. But none of this really allows us to be alone in a true sense, with just our thoughts to occupy our minds.
“I think many people don’t know how to spend time alone because of technology,” said Leslie. “They’re constantly talking to others, making them incapable of becoming independent.”
The effort required to conscientiously remove oneself from social media is extreme, admits Nicole , 19, a sophomore.
“I use an application from Apple called “Self Control” which allows me to block certain websites for a certain period of time,” she said. “So I block Facebook and turn on the application for a few hours.”
Whatever it takes—Apple’s “Self Control” app, a yoga class, or a walk by the Charles—we could probably all benefit from a little break from technology. Clearing your head can help you de-stress and reevaluate. So, even if only occasionally, leave your phone on its charger and go re-charge yourself.