A group of Wilmington College students took a look at how the nation’s obsession with social media is, by some measure, preventing them from living their lives in person.
Corey Cockerill had her Communication Arts 131 class participate in a 24-hour media exclusion project in which they not only refrained from watching television, playing musical devices and listening to the radio, but also they could not speak or text on their cell phones, surf the Internet or engage in social media.
That’s right — no texting, Tweeting, Instagram, Snapchat or Facebook.
Cockerill, associate professor of communication arts, said the students kept a journal in which they reflected upon their feelings and reactions both during and after the daylong media blackout. She believes their responses are very telling and “may lend insight into the impact of social media on student quality of life and educational performance.”
One student proclaimed, “Social media are keeping us from being social.” Indeed, another acknowledged learning that, “We can have an actual, interactive social life that is more fulfilling than a virtual one.”
A participant that admitted to often seeking distractions via social media posed the question: “What am I trying to be distracted from?” A particularly insightful response noted the assignment actually was not about media, but rather, “It’s about practicing self-value.”
A student noticed that living without constant media stimuli was like being younger when they engaged side-by-side with peers in “simple things.” “I noticed and appreciated more,” another one added. “Humor is a good substitute for social media.”
“I don’t do many hands-on things, but I realize now how much I enjoy them.” A student “learned independence” from the exercise and another became more efficient with regard to schoolwork. “I focused more on completing assignments, not just starting or managing them.”
Some students experienced anxiety and had difficulty not constantly monitoring their smart phones. While one admitted to eating more food than normal during the blackout period; another had difficulty “finding answers when we need them” and yet another found him/herself “numb from our own thoughts.”
Another participant missed listening to favorite music. “I lost the soundtrack to my life.”
A student noted that he/she needed the support of others as “proxies” supplying them with the information they were missing. “Society now expects us to be ‘in the know.’” Another student said he/she felt most comfortable and successful with the media blackout when surrounded by “like-disconnected people.”
Yet another was especially self-critical. “We get validation from people based on social media — it’s a crutch to support self-esteem.” One admitted his/her ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) was “not triggered” in the absence of social media.
Other comments: “Social media takes time and makes it overly dramatic.” “We waste so much time on nothingness.”
Finally, a student experienced the revelation that not all social media contacts affect one’s lives in a positive manner. “I realized I follow a lot of annoying people on Facebook. It was refreshing not to deal with them.”
At least for 24 hours.