Today’s technology offers many benefits, although it can also be a major distraction for college students.
Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, has found that such distraction can prevent young people from reaching their full potential. That’s why the school encouraged students to log off for the entire month of February.
Students across campus have unplugged from social media, entertainment, and online shopping. It is all part of the school’s second annual Digital Rest initiative which encourages them to deepen their connection with God and others instead of scrolling for hours.
“I am constantly getting notifications from, if it’s Instagram, social media, Facebook, text, emails, and so it’s definitely hard during the day when you’re trying to focus,” senior Isaiah Varella told CBN News.
Josh Rutledge serves as vice president of spiritual development at Liberty. He sees the university’s initiative as disrupting the smartphone’s hold on students and, hopefully, its connection to the national rise of certain mental health issues.
“I don’t want students to be depressed and anxious,” Rutledge said in an interview with CBN News. “I want them to know the abundant life that God has for them, and if they allow the phone to dictate the terms of reality for them, then they’re going to end up anxious.”
Digital habits play a disturbing role in anxiety, a growing emotional challenge for college-aged students.
Research by the Barna Group shows 39 percent of Gen Z frequently feel uncertain and anxious about decisions, and 85 percent believe their generation spends too much time online.
Rutledge frames the digital fast as a crucial spiritual discipline for today’s tech-inundated culture.
“This campaign is not about anti-technology,” Rutledge explained. “It’s not even anti-phone. It’s going, ‘Who is the master of it? Who’s in control? Do you have control of the phone and do you use it as a tool for your benefit or does it have control of you?'”
Students are encouraged to disconnect from all social media while also deleting non-essential apps, something that proves to be a battle for most.
Global studies and graphic design senior Makayla Kain said, “I came to realize that I was picking up my phone more often than I thought I was, and I was just having this habit of clicking apps that I didn’t even realize I was clicking.”
“We think about how often we’re in a group of people and we’re all just looking at our phones together,” said Thomas Myers, a senior studying biomedical sciences and psychology. “I think that this rest has really helped us in connecting with people in a more real way, in the way that we were meant to.”
To help students find encouragement during the digital fast, Liberty created a digital rest guide called “Lookup” which includes scripture readings, devotionals, and guided prompts for reflection and prayer.
“It is helping students step away from it, but then also going, ‘Man, what does that look like practically in this season?’ To really lean into prayer, to open God’s Word, to look at community and relationships with other people,” Rutledge explained.
The university also purchased 300 digital devices called Bricks which block social media access on smartphones. The blockers have been placed in each residence hall on campus for student use.
“Pretty much every night before I go to bed, I tap it and then it locks out everything except the weather app, my calendar, my clock, and my Bible app,” said Ian Chevalier a second-year master of divinity student. “So, literally the only thing I can do in the morning is look at the Bible app and actually get up.”
Freshman Emily Bergman says since logging off, her schoolwork has improved. “I’ve noticed I am way more just involved in everything and I am doing my homework and it’s just on time. No procrastination,” she said.
Less phone time is also leading to emotional, mental, and even physical benefits.
“I feel much more alert,” said Kain. “I’ve realized that I’ve been able to go to sleep a lot quicker because I’m not doom-scrolling before I’m going to sleep.”
Bergman said, “Just like walking around outside without any distractions and just feeling peace looking around. And you just notice a lot more when you’re not on your phone in nature and just with people. So, definitely a sense of peace for sure.”
Students are also experiencing spiritual renewal.
“My time in the morning with the Lord is a lot more focused,” said Varella. “I’m not focusing on distractions. I’ve been really focusing on more of just being quiet and listening for the Lord.”
“Your mind isn’t spinning quite as fast as it was before,” said Isaac Kantola, a senior theology student.
When the digital rest ends, Liberty plans to conduct a campus-wide survey to measure how many students participated and the overall benefit of this large social detox experiment.
“There’s not a single student who does this for the 28 days that at the end of it, will say, ‘Hey, that wasn’t a good idea. I can’t wait to just dive back into doom-scrolling on my phone,” said Rutledge. “Ten out of 10 people who do this, I promise you at the end of it will go, ‘That was worthwhile.'”
While most say they will return to regular social media use, they admit the time on it will be much more guarded.
“I know social media and the different apps, they aren’t evil, but it’s how you use them. So, I’ll definitely roll back how much I use them,” said Varella.
