When we go on with our daily lives, we often bring one thing along with us constantly: our phones! The average teenager has a screen time of 7 to 9 hours for just entertainment purposes—that averages 56 hours a week. With so much time dedicated to a screen, we begin to get dependent on it. That drives the question—can you survive a week without your phone?
I asked sophomore Jessica Hundal about it. She claimed that her average screen time is significantly lower than others—only three hours a day dedicated to social media or TV shows. “The hardest thing to live without with is communication. You can’t call or text someone in case of an emergency,” says Hundal.
We have all heard about how our mental health is severely affected by our long hours on the phone. Often, it is said an individual is better off without it. Hundal, however, believes the contrary to herself. “My mental health would stay the same because personally my phone doesn’t affect my emotions.” She does believe that those who often consume negative media online, though, would have a significant difference without their phones—and their mental health would improve.
“If I really had to, I could go a week without my phone,” claims Hundal. A week without her phone is doable in her eyes, since she uses it mainly for entertainment purposes and does not feel attached. “But what would break me first is when I have nothing to do and am just bored. I would really want to go on my phone then.”
Not all teenagers are the same—some have really high screen times, and some every low, and we all use our phones for different purposes. Try the challenge yourself, a week without your phone, and see if you can last. Wish you luck!
