Well, it’s finally here. The seniors have begun their end-of-the-year activities and classes are finally winding down in response to the hot weather and dwindling time we have left at the end of the school year. With summer on the brink of the horizon, it’s time for students to begin considering how they would like to spend their vacation. With this being said, with all of the free time the months from school gives students, it’s easy for them to get hooked onto social media and apps in a mindless repetition of “doom scrolling” based on how algorithms are made to target teens and get them hooked. Social media makes it easy for students to lose track of their time, especially when they aren’t obligated to come to school everyday. It’s no secret that teens nowadays spend a large amount of their time on their phones, however, summer can be the perfect reset for teens to discover new hobbies and spend their time doing something more productive. 

To begin, if you by any chance needed any more convincing as to why you should spend your summer off your phone, here’s the details for you: While New Jersey currently has the New Jersey Data Protection Act in place, apps and other social media websites are still collecting and tracking your data every time you log into them. The law that was formulated to require companies to obtain clear consent and allow you to opt out of data sharing in the state has led to many teens being unaware and simply clicking these consent buttons without actually reading the terms and details in an attempt to quickly log onto their favorite social media app. This means that whenever you use social media, companies are gaining your information, saving the things you search online, and are showing you personalized ads based on your browsing history or even your location. With teens having more time in the summer to “doom scroll” on their favorite app, this is just giving companies more power to obtain your data, giving your information to different companies and people that you may be unaware about, making this potentially unsafe. Well, what if teens were to ditch social media in the summer? It turns out that simply going outside or participating in hobbies is better for your mental health as these activities provide an outlet for your mind to rest and create a healthy sense of accomplishment. By doing this, your body is lowering stress, triggering mood-enhancing natural chemicals in your brain, helps restore your attention span that could’ve been potentially altered by social media, and allows you to get better sleep during the night. If you’re asking me, there is a clear winner as to how I would rather be spending my time in the summer.

So, if you decide that you want to spend your summer offline, what activities could you participate in? Many teens struggle with picking up hobbies or thinking of things to partake in due to the easy accessibility of participating in social media. Well, to begin, it is super simple and fun to take walks or bike-rides in local parks. You can go out there with your family, friends, pet, or even by yourself to look at local scenery and take a rest. Besides this, if you were looking to update your summer wardrobe, you could also go shopping at local malls, thrift stores, or even going to nearby markets. Going to the movies, the town pool, or even having a simple hangout with your friends can also be fun activities to partake in. If none of these options interest you, maybe getting onto a gym schedule may be more your speed? Some local gyms offer students discounts to highschoolers in the area, making it cheap and convenient to get a membership and make going to the gym a habit. If you were by any chance looking for something else, you could also look into summer job opportunities or see if there are any local events occurring in or near town.

Well, what if you are looking for a casual hobby to partake in? Maybe you could make a creative journal or scrapbook highlighting summer memories. This can include making a bulleted journal to glueing physical polaroids, stickers, and decoration to a simple scrapbook. Besides this, if you were interested in photography or art you could also begin introducing yourself to these hobbies with the time you have over the summer by taking simple photos on your phone or more professional camera, or by buying simple art supplies at a local store and taking your best shot at creating a drawing or painting. If neither of these sound interesting to you, there are plenty of other hobbies you can indulge in, such as baking, reading, writing, learning a new sport, and more. There are no limitations as to what hobbies you can pick up during the summer!

With all of this being said, I hope we can agree that this summer should be spent offline. While I am not saying that you have to delete every social media app off of your phone or that you should never access the internet again, I am asking you to maybe take some time off of social media to give your brain a much deserved reset. It is important to take a step back to reflect on our social media habits and put our best foot forward when creating new habits that are healthier than the ones we already have. With all of this being said, what hobbies and activities will you be doing during your time off? Have a great summer, and I can’t wait to hear all about your adventures next fall!