Phones aren’t meant to be velcroed to someone’s hand for hours at a time. If you’re anything like me, you know exactly what I’m talking about. I once spent an entire day binge-watching Subway Surfers Brooke and Jubal videos to the point that I was phantom scrolling, half asleep and still seeing the illusion of a video even though my phone had died 30 minutes ago. Believe me, this is no way to spend your time, let alone your summer. 

Last summer break, I told myself I was going to hang out with friends, complete my bucket list, wake up early, ride my bike, read, practice driving, and do everything I “didn’t have time for” during school. I ended up trying to deep clean my room only to find myself laying on the floor, surrounded by piles of clothes, watching some sort of documentary. Rotting away, locked up in our rooms, with these screens that turn us into zombies, won’t do anything but waste our time and drive us away from those we care about. 

Humans were meant to be social creatures, and “social” media shouldn’t stand in place of that. Taking care of yourself and your relationships is very important for building a strong foundation for your mental health. We get so caught up in checking our phones that we forget to check on others. Maybe instead of going down a rabbit hole of everything dinosaur-related, you could go do something fun with your mom. She will appreciate your company way more than you appreciate her saying, “Look who came out of her cave”. You could also spend some time outside, whether that be going out for a walk, taking a bike ride, having a picnic, or whatever else you want to enjoy. Nature is always healing for the soul. Don’t spend all your time fixating over some rando on the internet and their take on the latest trending series. Hannah isn’t going anywhere, trust. 

Spending an excessive amount of time on your phone can distract you from creating new, real, and exciting memories. When you spend your summer doing absolutely nothing, everything mushes together into a blur. I guarantee you will not remember the videos you watched at 3 a.m. on a random Tuesday. You will remember the fun sleepovers, carnival rides, and super intense games of Uno where everyone left with at least one death threat. 

As an incoming senior, I’m realizing I don’t have much time left to just be a kid. One day we’re going to look back on high school summers, and I really hope I remember more than lying in bed watching someone make slime. Summer goes by fast. Don’t spend all of it staring at a screen waiting for something interesting to happen. Go make something interesting happen instead. Your phone will still be here when you get back.