The average American highschooler spends about 7 hours and 22 minutes on their phone per day. In other words, about half of a teen’s waking hours. Phones negatively affect sleep, increase anxiety and loneliness, harm relationships, decrease academic performance, and worsen cognitive capacity – and teenagers are particularly vulnerable. Much like the average teenager, a large portion of my life is centered around my phone, even though my parents mandate that I check my phone in from 9PM to 7AM every day. In order to find out if the side effects of a phone are real, I agreed to take on a one-week challenge and not use my phone or social media in any way, shape, or form. Even with the number of restrictions that I usually have on my phone, this week was harder than I thought, and my thoughts constantly changed each day.
Monday
Giving in my phone yesterday with the knowledge that I won’t use it for a week really makes me wonder why I decided to do this. It’s one thing to have your phone and not use it, but to have that choice taken away only makes me want to use my phone more. I use my phone as a mode of communication, entertainment, education (aka Duolingo), a calculator, a camera, a TV and a music player. One of the hardest things about this week, at least for me, will be finding other things to use instead of my phone.
Tuesday
I was shocked by the amount of time I had to do other things yesterday. I read almost 300 pages of a book, did homework, and still had time to be bored. Despite the fact that I didn’t do too much homework, my productivity still went way up compared to days when I had my phone. My sleep also improved; it was a little easier to fall asleep last night without the blue light. However, there really wasn’t too much of a noticeable difference. One of the hardest things about this week is people coming up to me and asking why I haven’t responded to their texts or if I could set a timer for them. Most people think I’m totally crazy for giving up my phone when I have to remind them. Maybe I am, because I walked around today with a giant “I” on my hand as a reminder for an after-school interview, because I couldn’t set one on my phone.
Wednesday
The first two days of this week have been extremely hard, but as more time passes, the more independent I am without my phone. I am caught up on school work, using some time yesterday to catch up on assignments. This boosted my productivity and lowered my anxiety. It’s very hard to procrastinate when you can’t scroll on social media or watch an episode of your favorite TV show. I played a lot of card games yesterday with my family, which was super fun, and I even played laser tag with my brother.
Not being on my phone this week has improved my relationships. You are forced to interact with others, when you are not staring at a screen. I finished a book that I had been meaning to read for a while and cleaned my room this morning. I’m really shocked about how much time I’ve had to do things since I’ve given up my phone. I feel like I’m making a schedule without my phone. My routine is more structured at the start of my day, doing my normal morning routine, going to school, getting home and starting on homework (because what can I do? Doom scroll), practicing guitar, and then doing something I don’t normally do: playing board games or finishing books instead of going on my phone.
Thursday
I’m definitely at peace at this point with not having my phone. I have a defined routine without it now, which makes this whole thing easier. I’m feeling a little bit of trepidation heading into the weekend without it, but the first part of this week has been great. I’ve noticed a couple things since I’ve lost my phone. My productivity has gone way up! I have a lot less anxiety and stress, and I am procrastinating way less. I’ve had a deeper connection with others this week as I talk and interact with them instead of being on my phone. My sleep has also gotten better. It is easier to fall asleep without being on a screen right before bed. I’ve definitely used more critical thinking and creativity this week because instead of Googling my questions, I just think through them. I also have greater sense of time and am more mindful of what’s going on around me. The only thing I am missing this week is texting with my out-of-state friends. It’s awesome to connect with people in Albuquerque, but it’s super difficult to connect with those who live elsewhere.
Friday – No School
So far this weekend, I’ve definitely noticed more productivity. Normally, on days that I’m not busy and don’t have school, I wake up and doom-scroll or listen to music until about 11:00, and only then do I get ready. Today, however, it’s only 8:10, and I’m starting my day. Today, my goal is to get a lot of the school work I got for the weekend done so that I can focus on other projects and interests. At this point in the week, the amount of missed texts I have is alarming. I really didn’t notice how much I texted my friends, until I couldn’t. If anything, this week has made me aware of what a time-suck my phone is, when I could be doing other things.
Saturday
The Moment of Truth: the hardest part of the week. Yesterday I baked banana bread with my mom in the morning and did a lot of school work. Unfortunately for me, I have almost nothing planned for the weekend and am going a little crazy. Instead of going on my phone when I’m bored, I’m forced to find other things to do. I think the most annoying thing about this week is people still coming up to me and asking why I didn’t respond to their texts after I’ve told them several times that I don’t have my phone. My sleep has vastly improved at night, though. Without the blue light from my phone keeping me up, I go to sleep faster and even sleep for longer periods of time. Another thing that has gone up is my focus and cognitive capacity. Without social media or ads filling my brain with a million different things at once, I’m thinking more clearly and my brain is functioning at a higher level.
Sunday
My phone free week officially comes to a close today! If anything, this week gave me a sense of awareness as to how much I use my phone. I’m the least stressed I’ve been in weeks, and I am more motivated to do screen-free activities. I feel well-rested, and my brain is definitely functioning at a higher level. Yesterday, I did an art project, finished up my homework for the weekend, and played some board games with my family. One of the main things that has improved this week is my relationships with other people. I’m truly shocked to find that not only all of the side effects of a phone are true, but I am much happier without one.
This week would definitely be something I do again, if only because my productivity was so high. On weeks when I have a lot of school work or don’t have time for distractions, this no phone week would be something I would consider doing again. Despite this week being so eye opening, there are definitely some things that I look forward to using my phone for: texting my friends, setting reminders, and taking photos. I strive to be on my phone less in order to sleep better, have higher productivity, a clearer mind and more connection with friends. Detox complete! All goals achieved! The side effects of no phone? Turns out the science is real!
