By Madeline Condor | Staff Writer
My average screen time seems to up itself every week.
When getting my weekly report, a daily average of around six hours doesn’t seem jarring until I put it into perspective. Six hours is almost a full night of sleep, an entire school day or an intense study session. There is so much more I could do with the time I spend on my phone, and I’m slowly aiming to combat it.
I heard in a sermon once to “be where your feet are” — which takes inspiration from a novel by Scott O’Neil on keeping yourself grounded — and it’s stuck with me ever since. To think of the number of conversations I could have had instead of stuffing my face in my phone is, frankly, upsetting. On campus, students walk from class to class scrolling on social media rather than talking with others. Every person wants and needs moments of solitude, but low amounts of social interaction aren’t healthy for anyone.
Researchers at University College in London conducted a study that found a link between happiness and a term the researchers called “relational diversity.”
With data from sources like the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the World Health Organization, the researchers were able to analyze data and survey responses from people’s daily habits, interactions and schedules. A distinct correlation was noted between relational diversity and levels of satisfaction.
“Assessing the social interactions and happiness of over 50,000 people reveals that interacting with a more diverse set of relationship types predicts higher well-being,” the study reads.
Additionally, people who spoke with a broader variety of people, like strangers, reported higher levels of happiness.
After reading this study, I’ve tried my best to speak with at least one person a day who I don’t know. Whether it’s a person in class I don’t know very well, a stranger in the grocery store or the person next to me waiting to order at a restaurant, a simple “How are you?” can stretch a long way.
Observing the world around you, free of technology, keeps you grounded and appreciative. There are countless moments in my life that I would have never fully experienced had I not been in the moment.
Spend more time interacting with the world instead of watching it through a screen. When you wake up, don’t let time go to waste watching others’ lives when you could be out living yours. Be where your feet are.
