Students give up social media for Lent
Smartphones and social media now dominate daily life: Snapping, texting, and doomscrolling TikTok eat up hours and hours of each day. Head of School Mr. Steve Straessle organized an initiative called the Great Deletion to encourage students to get off their phones and refocus on what matters. On Ash Wednesday, Mr. Straessle allowed students to bring their smartphones to lunch and delete social media apps from their cell phones, promising to keep them off until after Easter.
The cafeteria roared as the countdown started: “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, DELETE!” And just like that—in a snap—apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok disappeared from students’ phones. Students had different reasons for joining The Great Deletion, but they all sought something outside their devices.
Junior Jared Aranda participated in the Great Deletion for spiritual reasons. “I’m trying to find Christ,” he said. Junior Ethan Hurtado also hopes to strengthen his faith. “I want to have a closer connection to God, not just my phone,” said Hurtado.
Others viewed the Great Deletion as a challenge to become happier and more productive. “I spend way too much time on my phone, and I need to concentrate more on my homework,” said junior Miles Null. Null wants to spend more time reading, walking dogs, and playing basketball—“just really just relaxing,” Null said.
Many students don’t plan to delete apps from their phones permanently, but they think a respite will serve them well. “It’s not necessarily a problem, but I do go on it a lot, and I’m happy to be taking a break from it,” said junior Trey Cochran. Null also plans to reinstall the apps after Easter. “The idea is that following this erasure, I will use social media less frequently overall,” Null clarified.
Mr. Straessle hopes that by taking a break from social media, students can step back and reflect on their online habits and develop a healthier relationship with their phones. “Social media is not necessarily dangerous,” said Mr. Straessle. “The issue is more about the way that we interact with it. During Lent, we will do other types of ‘streaks’—such as exercising outdoors, reading, and engaging in face-to-face, personal conversation.”
After the Great Deletion, the cafeteria atmosphere felt electric: enthusiasm mixed with nervousness and resolve. Students joked about what they would do with their new free time and who would last until Easter. Whether or not every student remains faithful to the challenge remains to be seen. But based on the number of students who were at least willing to give it a shot, the Great Deletion was a Great Success.
