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cell phone fixation teens struggle to look up from their screens

Senior Ben Salter scrolls on his phone in between classes. Salter says even though he knows being on his phone for long periods of time is unhealthy, it's hard to let go of the habit of grabbing his phone the moment he feels bored. "I'm not productive because of my phone usage and I feel like I've missed out on a lot of experiences happening around me," Salter said. Photo by Matteo Winandy

By Ellie Levy

Mobile games.

Instagram posts.

Snapchat streaks.

They interrupt our conversations, demand our attention and cause us to waste hours upon hours all because of a device that seems to always be within reach.

AP World History teacher Kevin Finn has been teaching at the high school for 17 years, and throughout his experience, he has seen cell phone use become a bigger and bigger problem.

“Kids would be on their phones and not be paying attention to the lesson,” he said.

As a solution, this year, Finn began having students put up their phones in a phone rack on the wall during class.

“Having students hang up their phones at the beginning of class reduces distractions for them and helps them pay better attention to the lessons,” he said.

This stance examines the place that cell phones have in student’s everyday lives and in professional environments such as school. Many students use phones as a way to escape from things that they don’t want to think about.

According to therapist and Dallas CBT assessment specialist Dr. Laura Minze, kids use phones as a distraction for things that they fear.

“One of the things that causes anxiety to be bigger in our mind is this idea that if you avoid it, you immediately feel better,” she said. “That's where the cell phones come in. It’s a readily available avoidance technique.”

A lot of anxiety is rooted in fear, whether those fears are real or perceived.

“It’s really easy to say, ‘I’m anxious about studying, or this test,’” Minze said. “‘I need to study but I’m anxious, let me get involved in something that keeps my attention.’ A test isn't dangerous, but many students have anxiety about their tests.”

“It’s unrealistic for me to look at my phone and think ‘I was on my phone for six hours today, I'll be on my phone for just an hour tomorrow.’”

According to Minze, in recent years, many people have become extremely reliant on their phones. There is a sort of inherent anxiety in hearing a buzz, seeing unopened notifications and “missing out” on what might be happening when you do not answer your phone.

“I have teens that will come into my office and be doing pretty good,” she said. “They'll have their cell phone put away and we’ll be working in therapy on something, but then their phone will buzz and they'll know and have to answer. I don't want to say that teens are the only ones that it happens to because it happens with adults too.”

That’s not to say one can’t choose to make healthier choices about their phone use. Some people, such as sophomore Maxine Jordanoff, are already content with their level of phone use.

“My relationship with my phone is neutral,” she said. “I’d say that the pros and cons of using one balance each other out, at least for me.”

In Minze’s opinion, building a healthier relationship with our phones is a process that involves changing overall lifestyle habits and is not a change that can occur overnight.

“It’s unrealistic for me to look at my phone and think ‘I was on my phone for six hours today, I'll be on my phone for just an hour tomorrow,’” she said. “That makes us feel like we’re not doing a good enough job, so it should be more along the lines of ‘I was on my phone for six hours yesterday, maybe my goal is to be on it five and a half hours instead.’”

According to Minze, while difficult, creating a healthier relationship is a choice worth making.

“Ask yourself a quick question before you pick up your phone—‘is it really necessary?’” she said. “‘Is that person important enough to interrupt your time?’”

Graphic by Lucy Gomez