In a world where every spare moment is filled with scrolling, silence has become uncomfortable. Phones promise connection, yet often leave people feeling more distracted than ever. From a tool for communication to becoming a constant companion, phones might be taking on the power to shape how we think, interact and even rest.
The TikTok ban scare from earlier this year showed how attached people really are. Although making a TikTok feels creative, people might be slowly forgetting the organic fun you can have without a cell phone attached to you. Many teens are starting to realize that phones might be beginning to notice that phones may be hurting rather than helping – affecting mental health, creativity, attention spans and the ability to sit with boredom.
“Some people just naturally resort to going on their phone in an awkward situation,” Cole Cummings ’26 said, “but when you don’t have your phone, I feel like you’re more prone to be talkative to others and more social.”
Phones can become a social shield for awkward social settings and insecurities.
“Some guys will just check the weather app in front of girls,” Cummings said.
It’s more about avoiding discomfort than it is about checking the forecast. Phones often act as a safety net, giving teens an easy escape from discomfort instead of pushing them to connect face-to-face.
“People like the idea of [disconnecting], but they don’t like actually executing it,” Ben Serfaty ’26 said. “It’s a natural response to go to it because we are so addicted to our phones that we are inclined to do it when we feel awkward or our social battery dies.”
Even when teens want a break from their phones, the habit is so ingrained that it feels automatic. Still, not everyone thinks ditching phones is realistic or desirable.
“It connects people; I have friends that go to other schools and this is my only way to communicate and keep in contact with them,” Sofia Dileo ’26 said.
She also sees phones as a source of creativity.
“There’s so many things on the internet you can search up and see and give you lots of ideas,” Dileo said.
Other students agree that phones can inspire.
“It gives ideas to do things together; crafts and stuff,” Zara Greifenberger ’29 said. “Phones can make things more fun, we could play online games, but also sometimes my friends are always on their phone, even when we’re hanging out.”
Greifenberger’s opinion shows the tension between phones adding fun and phones creating a disconnection. And when it comes to leaving phones at home altogether?
“Most people wouldn’t,” Dileo said. “We’ve always had our phones.It would be too much of a change.”
Greifenberger provided an additional reason for always keeping her phone.
“I’m not allowed to leave my phone at home because I have life360. My mom makes me bring it with me because it’s safer,” she said.
Rather than ditching phones completely, some students are trying to be more intentional – setting time limits, using “Do Not Disturb,” or comparing who can go longest without checking notifications. When the phone’s down, conversations last longer. Silence doesn’t feel like a void that has to be filled with scrolling – and sometimes, boredom sparks something new. Maybe the real flex isn’t who got the most likes, but who had the longest conversation without checking the weather app.
