Finding real followers: A case for connection

A group of UMD students are creating Connection Day on Feb. 18 to allow students to put their phones down and interact with each other on a more personal level. Illustration courtesy Kelly Gilomen

Recall the simple days of elementary school. You knew everyone's name in your class. You knew your teacher’s full name, what made them laugh and about the family they went home to. You came to school, talked, played and wondered about the mechanics of the old school projector. 

Do these memories bring you a sense of nostalgia? What if we could have a piece of those days back again?

Our Cell Phone Obsession

Notice in those memories how there was a lack of smart technology. There weren’t people glued to their phones. Instead, people met in-person, not through a screen. How did we get to this place of obsession? According to Jim Roberts, Ph.D., a researcher at Baylor University, 

“Women college students spend an average of 10 hours a day on their cell phones and men college students spend nearly 8 hours a day.” 

Here at UMD, we have the same problem. In our own survey of 75 UMD students, 97 percent of students use their phone in class. These numbers exemplify our problem.

Anxiety & Depression at an All-Time High

On a national, local and personal stage, anxiety and depression are reaching a crisis level. According to David Rosenberg, Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at Wayne State University, 

“1 in 5 University students are battling anxiety or depression.”

In addition, Dr. Rosenberg said, “mobile phone addiction, as well as excess smartphone use, is also associated with increased sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety and overall stress.” 

In a 2018 UMD survey, it was found that these disorders plague 35.9 percent of UMD students within their lifetime. Our survey of over 70 UMD students revealed that 88 percent of students believe their mental health would improve if they were not on their phones. Imagine how putting your phone down will help your mental health and connect you to our campus.

Desperate for Connections

So what is social connection? Stanford Medicine professor Dr. Emma Seppala defines positive social connections as “a positive feedback loop of social, emotional and physical well-being.” 

In simple terms, higher connection to real-life society equals positive health results. And, poor social connections can be deadly, “... nearly 12 percent [of college students] consider suicide,” according to The Foundation for Art and Healing. 

Loneliness is a reality, and no one is immune. 

In a 2017 study done by the American College Health Association, 64 percent of University students reported feeling “very lonely” in the past 12 months. 

We need social connections for our survival. In our survey, 78 percent of UMD students said they are more likely to talk to someone who is not on their phone. Think about the countless connections you’re missing out on when you’re invested in your phone.

A Connected Campus. What if?

We are desperate for connection. Change is brewing, and now is the time to take action. We are calling for a UMD Connection Day, where students and faculty do not use devices and plug back into a day of quality personal interaction. 

Now imagine your usual walk to class, but instead of phone zombies, you see welcoming faces, all engaged in their surroundings. Or imagine you’re in Kirby and no one is on their devices. That would be a WILD sight. Let’s re-imagine, reconnect and make connection day a reality at UMD. 

About the Authors:

We are a group of upper-division UMD students concerned about the way cell phones distract our learning and connections with others.

Information for UMD’s Connection Day on Feb. 18. Photo courtesy Kelly Gilomen