Smartphones and Laptops have become indispensable in a student’s life. What began as an aid for learning is now deeply embedded in the very system itself. But the real question remains: can students truly unplug in 2025?
According to a recent study by the National Center for Health Statistics, in the United States nearly half of teenagers reported four or more hours of daily screen time. Post-Covid, digital integration in education and personal life has only accelerated, making long screen hours a global norm.
This growing dependency comes with a cost. High levels of screen time are associated with adverse health outcomes, including poor sleep habits, fatigue, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Moreover, the researchers warn that it’s not just the hours but the patterns of use. Compulsive and addictive patterns of mindless scrolling, checking the notifications obsessively have been caused to show deeper and long-term harms.
Cal Newport, an American writer and professor (Georgetown University, Washington D.C) has recently launched a book titled “Digital Minimalism” emphasizing on choosing life in a hyperconnected world. He believes that we all can make smart choices of using technology as an intentional tool rather than allowing it to dictate our behaviour.
This strongly resonates with students. Smartphones serve as a bridge between the real and the digital world but the addictive pull is evident. Research shows that about half of the children reported consistently high addictive use from the start of the study that remained high through early adolescence and soon became an addictive pattern as they aged.
In the current scenario, it is essential for students to actively practice digital detox. For practicing digital minimalism in 2025, simple and practical steps can be done:
Audit which apps truly add value for study, career or skill building.
Set hard limits (e.g., app timers, scheduled phone-free study blocks)
Replacing digital time with mindfulness activities — reading, clubs, exercise, or offline hobbies.
The key is to integrate technology in your life without allowing it to consume us. Students’ can benefit with consciously disconnecting — having ‘me time,’ nurturing in-person relationships, and reconnecting with their inner selves. Technology should serve as a tool for learning and growth, not as a substitute for living.
Life is a gift that extends beyond notifications and digital feeds. Share small joys, spend time with loved ones, plant the seeds of meaningful connections, and nourish not just the mind but also the soul.
In 2025, digital minimalism isn’t about rejecting technology, it is reclaiming balance. By making mindful choices, students can ensure they remain the masters of their screens, not the other way around.
(Rh/RS/NS)
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