With the modern lingo filled to the brim with words such as “Skibidi Rizz” and “Kai Cenat Ohio Gyatt,” it forces us to contemplate if social media is truly the evil within Pandora’s box that we shouldn't have opened. As these made-up words and other gibberish find their roots deep in meme culture, it seems the epidemic of chronic social media usage has halted the educational development of this generation. Because of this, it is natural for them to feel a sense of distrust in chronic social media use, as it seems to suck the time and soul out of us. In the face of this dilemma, what is really the issue at hand? Is social media truly a brain-melting machine that kills innovation, curiosity, and joy in adolescents? Or is it a tool that we merely misuse during a time of hardship?

For many of the current students in high school, the years spent in quarantine were filled with doom scrolling and staggering hours of screen time. As a result, students performed poorly on their tests and homework. Logically, parents assume that the fault lies in the hands of social media. Yet, we often overlook the fact that this issue has been plaguing adolescents for a very long time. Even before social media, many parents can recall a time when procrastination involved more physical activities, such as comics or football. Despite the gap between generations, these two events aren’t independent of one another. Rather than pinning the blame on our “darn phones,” we should reframe the question: How has the misuse of social media facilitated procrastination within the new generation, and what can we do to properly use it to help ourselves?

One of the most evident signs of the impact of social media in our everyday lives is reflected in our lingo. In school, as kids begin to get their first phones, “Brain Rot” finds its way into these kids’ For You pages on Instagram or YouTube. As modern lingo becomes widespread, it becomes increasingly unnatural to be outside of the loop, especially within school. Because of this false sense of exclusivity of content, a social hierarchy begins to form: the people on top know the slang and the ones on the bottom know nothing. This creates a drive for those at the bottom to follow the herd and attach themselves to this form of media. In simpler terms, because the “cool kids” seem to know more about these trends by focusing their time on their phones rather than school, others tend to follow to achieve this higher social status. Being left out by not knowing these terms can result in bullying, which is one of the main deterrents for many of these adolescents from leaving social media. As a result, we see a drastic collapse in GPA in kids so young. With examples ranging from the use of abbreviations to full-blown dance routines, there is no doubt that the immediate rush of dopamine from social media captures the attention of this generation fast and furiously.

For a while, people questioned the role and influence of social media and its correlation with academic performance. As our lifestyles are unique, it's very difficult to find the just cause for poor academics as a whole. Despite this, there have been numerous studies testing the correlation between time spent on studying and the GPA that reflects it. As we use less of our time on working and reviewing classwork, there is a clear correlation to a lower GPA, and contrary to popular belief, distractions in any form will cause grades to become worse. Because we often confuse multitasking and task switching, we assume that switching from screen to paper will not affect our concentration, even though it hinders our performance as it decreases the quality of study. This correlation causes the logical association that phones are the cause of this madness, which many media outlets report on. By the time Gen-Z was born, most forms of phone use had terrorized parents across the globe. Yet, we often forget that there are other distractions outside of our phones--even outdoor activities can cause us to deviate away from the task at hand. With that being said, we must understand how proper study sessions are achieved, and more importantly, how we can seek alternatives to excessive phone usage. 

The qualities that define a good study session are defined by two terms: attention and motivation. Attention is based on how well you can block out distractions: phone calls, notifications, noise from construction sites, and more. By removing distractions from where we work, it allows for a higher quality of isolation. By simply switching up our environment -- from your dinner table to a separate, quiet workbench -- it can largely improve concentration. For example, I find trips to a local library a very nice way to remove any unwanted noise. Next, we have to consider the use of motivation. Even though it sounds misleading, motivation is the process of finding ways to prevent distractions and allow us to study at ease. By placing yourself in an inviting environment (like surrounding yourself with study buddies), you can greatly improve your incentive to study and achieve better in school. A wide range of study methods exist to improve upon these two aspects of a proper study session, and it is important to find one that can fit your schedule. Poor time management and improper grades are often caused by the distractions generated by our phones, rather than the phone itself. Therefore, a proper study session can begin once we remove any distraction from the environment around us. 

Fixing our bad habits can be challenging, but rather than viewing this change in lifestyle as torture, it is beneficial to view it as an investment in ourselves. Another example of an investment is better time management. A great way to budget time is through the use of timetables and To-Do lists. By writing down what you need to do each day, you create that sense of urgency to complete what is most important, and leave time for the things you may want to do. When I take my time away from the alluring song and dance of my phone, I find so many more interesting activities that have been right in front of me. Recently, I found my passion in fencing, and have enjoyed every second in the bouts we hold. The solution to our issues is simple: we must learn how we can control our phones, and not allow our phones to control us. Trust me when I say this: it feels much more satisfying to take a break to go on social media after everything is done. There will be no guilt behind it, and more importantly, there won’t be a nagging mother behind you telling you to finish your homework.