My Campus Has a Phone Addiction, and It’s a Contagious Disease

I transferred from a much smaller school to a large state university this past year, and while it has been a mostly positive experience that changed my life for the better, I eventually started to notice how many people who surround me are on their phones. People are constantly staring at their phones when they’re walking, eating, in class, or even when surrounded by peers, and not only does it bring me down, but it also causes me to go on my phone more.

Constantly looking down is a downer

I find myself incredibly disheartened when I look around and notice all of my surrounding peers with their faces perpetually stuck down staring at their phone. It limits and stunts social interaction and the development of social skills necessary to make friends and work with others easily. Without any scientific research or charted data, with my own eyes I witness people who are stuck on their phones most often by themselves, and have less coordination as they’re not looking up where they’re going. I’ve seen people riding bikes and electric scooters while staring at their phones, and that is incredibly annoying and dangerous. It’s also quite rude when I’m spending time with someone or even just trying to work in class with them, and they have a hard time looking up at me and fully listening. 

not every campus has the same problem

As I’ve stated, I transferred from a small school to a large state university, and the student bodies contrast very starkly from each other. There are different kinds of personalities, and different kinds of technology usage seen. My current university is also surrounded by numerous small creative liberal arts colleges which also attract different kinds of students. I’ve noticed that at smaller schools, especially liberal arts schools where the arts are highly valued and have a larger presence in their campus culture, there is much less excessive phone use. It seems these students are more committed to etiquette and staying in the moment. 

Modeled behavior

The reason I’m calling the phone addiction a contagion is because we model each other’s behavior. There’s a peer-pressure aspect to it. If everyone else is on their phones, you may feel like the odd one out to have your face out of a screen. These are instincts you either have to fight or you’d have to remove yourself from the setting, into one filled with people who are more in the moment. The truth is, you’re not weird for not using your phone as a crutch for awkwardness or boredom, even if you’re doing something solo or waiting in line. I feel as if I’m setting a positive example by abstaining from the instinct to pick up my phone whenever there is a break in conversation or action.

What to do about it

Phone addiction, especially amongst Gen Z, is a systemic issue that I myself cannot solve. However, I can talk about it with my friends, or whoever will listen, and I can choose to surround myself with those who share the same ideals about staying present in the moment and choosing to abstain from cell phone use when possible. You have to make an effort to get off your phone and find like-minded people. There are spaces that exist that aren’t filled with screen feins. Together, we can work through community building to change the social norms surrounding constant cell phone use. We don’t need a constant distraction, even when we’re waiting in line or doing something that isn’t particularly engaging. 

The point of this article isn’t to judge those who struggle with their phone-life balance, but to bring attention to the very visible problem that surrounds us and to possible solutions. Most of humanity has gone without phones, and we don’t need them to survive, be happy, or to use them as a social crutch. 

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• addiction
• college
• mental health
• phone
• technology