Life & Culture

10 Reasons College Students Should Go Tech Free On Shabbat

It will allow you to deepen the relationships you care most about. In this day and age, very few people can sit through a concert, a dinner date or a family celebration without taking pictures and checking social media. Unplugging allows you to truly live in the moment and get to know the people in front of your camera.
It’s great for your mental health. Millennials may have the shortest attention spans in human history, taking time to unplug will allow you to truly focus on what you’re doing and live in the moment instead of living vicariously through other people’s social media posts.
It gives you self-discipline. You might think telling a prospective employer that you don’t use your phone 25 hours a week will buy you a one way ticket to the unemployment office but contrary to popular belief, employers may actually appreciate your discipline. The most common reaction you’ll get is “Wow, I could never go anywhere without my phone. I’d feel naked. It’s so cool that you do that,” or something along those lines. Employers will know you’re capable of doing what you set your mind to and respect you for it.
It gives you time to think. Whether you’re a college student, a professional, or a parent, most people never have a moment to stop and think throughout the day. You wake up, check social media, get ready for the day, work, study, take care of business, get home, clean, cook, take care of more business, watch some Netflix, and go to sleep. Aside from those strong individuals who meditate, many people never actually have a dull moment in their day. Taking 25 hours a week to unplug will make you more comfortable with silence and with living in your own brain.
Weekends don’t really exist for college students, unless you make them. A college student’s stress never ends. Class may be out until Monday but the quiz, and hundreds of pages of reading due at 8 am prevent true relaxation. We may drink, chill and try to ignore our stress but it’s always there, making us feel guilty for not working. Taking 25 hours to yourself each week is the ultimate self care.
You’ll have more time to pursue your own readings. Many of us went to college due to our love of learning only to never be able to find time to pursue interests outside of the reading on our syllabus. Unplugging for Shabbat will allow you to finally read that book you’ve been thinking about since freshman year but never have time to read.
You could make more friends. Shabbat happens every week so Hillels, Chabad and other organizations are always hosting. They list the meal times and everyone just shows up! You don’t have to worry about meeting new friends, there’s a whole community out there waiting for you to get off of Facebook and come hang out.
It gives you a reason to get a great watch. Since we can’t live without knowing what time it is, unplugging means finding a new timekeeping mechanism. Take this as an opportunity to invest is a nice watch that will last you for years to come and will impress the crowd.
It will bring your Jewish mother much nachas. You get this one.
It’s good for your soul. The day of rest is one of the defining features of Jewish culture. Academics refer to it as “sacred time,” because it is typically a time spent with family, eating traditional foods, learning Torah and establishing deeper spiritual connections through ritual practices and community events.