I wake up with my phone beside me ready to disable the agonizing alarm warning me to get ready for my 8:30 am class. Once I disable the alarm, I immediately catch up on any notifications that I may have missed while I was asleep. I start to browse Reddit and Twitter to wake myself up and prepare myself for the day to come. After leaving my dorm, I head to my first class of the day checking my phone as I walk over. After class is over at 9:30 am, I head over to a quiet table in commons and begin to work on my mountain of homework. I open the online math textbook and finish up my math homework, occasionally checking my phone when I get an email or message. Once I finish the rest of my classes for the day, I head back to my dorm and catch up on YouTube and Tiktok while I lay in bed for a couple of minutes taking a moment to relax. Soon after, I set an alarm on my phone warning me to wake up in an hour from my nap. After waking up, I check my phone again as I get ready to go to my wind ensemble class at 7:45 pm. Following Wind Ensemble, I head over to the Gaines rotunda to finish the rest of the homework for the night on my computer. Finally, once I finish all my work, I head to my dorm using my phone for the last time around midnight to set an alarm for the next day.
In just that one day, I spent two hours and thirty-five minutes looking at my phone. I opened my phone 76 times, I used at least six applications, and I received over 80 notifications. I spent almost sixteen percent of my day looking down at a 6-inch screen. This does not even account for the time spent working on my computer. I soon realized through this small project how much time I truly spent on the internet. Even while writing this post I occasionally took time to browse my phone and respond to messages.
Technology has made homework and social interaction much easier. With the internet, I can ask my professor a question about a topic without having to head over to his office during the small window of office hours provided. The internet is essential in my college life and the lives of many others, as it connects us to friends and family back home without having to send a letter through the mail. I honestly do not know how I would survive college without the internet.
