If a person were to walk through an Oakton hallway on any given day, the first thing they’d see is a flood of students with their eyes glued to their phones. Whether it be at school or at home, there has been an increase of teenagers spending more time on their phones than off of them. From watching a favorite Youtuber, flipping through Instagram liking pictures of others having fun, or spending time on Snapchat, there’s been a noticeable disconnect of teenagers being present in the moment and doing activities without their phone. 

Social media is a way to connect with others, stay current with the news, and share a viewpoint or inspiration. However, the reality of social media and its influencers is that no matter their intention, the end product is an edited viewpoint of their life. This can create unrealistic expectations and self esteem issues.  Another example of teens being disconnected is to take a picture with the intention of posting it on a media platform for likes. This culture of instant gratification can be addicting. Teenagers also have trouble putting their phones down for fear of missing out or “FOMO.”

Procrastination has become another issue because of teenagers being distracted by their phone. Accounts of students asking their parents to take their phones or changing their settings to lock certain app have been noted. According to a Study done by the West Virginia Education Association teenagers in 2019 spend nine hours a day on a screen. The recommended amount of screen time a day is two to four hours at the most.  There are only so many hours in a day, and for nine of them to be spent in front of a screen or multitasking and doing so is concerning. Instead of living life and experiencing moments in the real world many have gotten used to living through a screen and watching other people do it for them.