More on Mobile Phones

As a follow up on yesterday’s post, a friend of mine from Oregon USA , shared this information about an organization called Humanality which has launched clubs encouraging a smartphone-free college experience at six Catholic universities: Franciscan University, Christendom College, Ave Maria, University of Dallas, Benedictine, and Thomas Aquinas College. All students are required to give up their phones entirely for the duration of each semester. So far there has been an overwhelming and jaw-dropping response to this initiative.” Students and faculty are so aware of the problem with smartphones and digital addictions that just sharing about the Humanality clubs brings an excitement and desire to try to bring this movement to more universities and colleges. It has been demonstrated that there is a direct causal link between social media exposure and poor mental health outcomes for boy and girls. Self-harm amongst 10- to 14-year-old girls has quadrupled over the last 10 years. Suicide amongst boys and girls has sky rocked the last twelve years. Digital media affects the sexes differently. Andrew notes that women are more affected by social media itself, while men struggle more with video game addiction and pornography.

With half of U.S. children owning a mobile phone by age 11, and the surge in social media usage, has led to a concerning decline in happiness, with links to depression, anxiety, and more. Psychosexual development is also at risk, with pornography exposure affecting teen relationships and self-perception. Humanality clubs are committed to charting a more humane course, helping individuals navigate the modern age without being enslaved by it, and striking a balance that restores the essence of human living. On the ground, Humanality’s clubs have monthly meetings to share data and science on what phones and social media platforms are doing to us. What then? Go on a hike, hang with friends, go outside, read a book and do all these things without your phone. The people who designed these platforms and devices are not concerned with your wellbeing. Rather, they want your attention, and this is how they make money. Humanality clubs feature small groups so students can have deeper accountability with each other as they journey through the detox process. At the end of every school year, Humanality sponsors an on-campus concert for the students where the cost of admission for students is simply leaving their phone at the door. So they get to experience music without a screen!