SLOHS students can put a phone ban on their summer, staying in the present. Photo illustration courtesy of senior Athena Sterios.
An average teen spends over seven hours a day on their phone.
This summer, San Luis Obispo High School students chose to unplug and relax. With mental health and in-person connection in mind, SLOHS students and staff are considering a screen-free summer to make the most of these next months. This could look like adding restrictions on apps, screen time, or turning off your devices altogether.
Many students are burnt out, academically and socially. The constant assignments and notifications from social media take a toll on teens, and this summer is a perfect time to start a digital detox and mentally reset before the next school year.
“It feels like I’m always plugged in during the school year, and it gets exhausting,” said 2025 SLOHS graduate Naima Ortega.
Screen time can affect sleep, motivation, anxiety, and self-esteem. Therefore, a digital detox can benefit a teen’s mental health and overall happiness, making for a summer packed with good memories!
“When I stay off social media, I end up getting more stuff done, spending more time doing things I actually enjoy,” said senior Paloma Peffly.
Although staying off digital devices can be difficult. Some students might face FOMO (fear of missing out) and feel disconnected from friends and family. It’s best to remember that balance is key. Completely cutting off screen time might be unreasonable for some, but putting the phone down for a couple of hours a day is a great start, or silencing notifications to stay present.
This could expose teens to an opportunity to engage in real-life opportunities like spending time outdoors, picking up a new hobby, and having face-to-face conversations.
“I plan to travel to Oregon this summer and spend more time outdoors rather than reaching for my phone,” said 2025 SLOHS graduate Ariel Gatti.
As SLOHS students head into break, many are seeing advantages to shifting away from draining screen time habits and towards an activity-packed summer. Put that phone down, Tigers!