Dopamine. Don’t know what that is? Watch the video. Warning- it may cause you to want to re-think your habits. (My fingers are crossed that it does!)

So as the day rolls on, we are literally reaching for our devices constantly, and the downside of that is that we’re a little bit less connected with other people in our lives. We’re less productive, we’re making more errors, we’re feeling less happy about the way we interact with the world around us.

Your parents may not realize how difficult it can be to focus when you’re at school. They also got used to being in contact with you at all times during the pandemic. Some teachers are calling phones the ‘digital umbilical cord’. And it needs to be cut from 8-3.

Our society desperately needs new strategies for dealing with the constant interruptions and distractions of our phones in order to do anything of importance. So consider suggesting everyone put all technology away for mealtimes- including your parents.

One student reports, “I'm so distracted by my phone, so it's hard to like, listen to a teacher and actually understand what they're saying.

Let’s think about what it is you actually want from social media/a smart phone. Connection? Conversation? Companionship? Ok- totally valid. But is there a way to get these things without using apps?

We should proceed with caution and consider whether or not we want to invest our time and energy into such a complicated online space.