With summer break approaching, Marriotts Ridge students prepare for sunshine, fun and plenty of time to relax. But with the immense influx of free time, contrasted so heavily from final exams and struggles to wrap up the end of their year, some students struggle to occupy themselves during break, eventually using social media to fill the void. Social media, though accompanied by many pros, easily sucks users in with an endless supply of constant entertainment, trapping users in a loop of post after post; this is known as doom scrolling.
For many students, this phenomenon gets worse over summer break, when boredom is at its peak.
“[Over summer break] I’m gonna be bored a lot, so whenever I don’t have anything to do, It’s easier to go on my phone and start scrolling than it is to actually be productive and find something I want to do,” senior Sarah Swanson explains.
The main issue with doom scrolling is that it’s not productive. It adds little value to the user’s life, and oftentimes leaves people feeling drained, burnt out, and unproductive.
”Even though doom scrolling is something I don’t want to do, and I know it’s not good and I don’t enjoy it as much as I think I do, it’s easy, so I do it,” Swanson added.
A negative effect of doom scrolling is lowered self-esteem. Picking up other hobbies instead of the phone would also help one’s mental health. As such, finding something else to do is much more important than people might think.
“As a person that enjoys writing music, [hobbies] help me relieve built up stress through the lyrics of my songs,” sophomore Remi Pi explained.
So what can students do to make the most of their free time once summer break rolls around? Dedicating more time to existing hobbies or picking up new ones is a great option for those who were swamped with tests and projects over the school year. Not only will picking up hobbies instead of doom-scrolling increase productivity, the joy from fully indulging in a favorite activity can be worth more than seven hours of social media.
”Instead of doom scrolling, find a hobby, find something you enjoy and do it, something that contributes to your inner self,” Swanson expressed.
Another thing students could do are camps or summer programs. Although it may be too late to sign up for in person workshops for a lot of categories, there are free asynchronous programs from any University students could follow over summer. Not only would they learn new things that could prepare them for the next school year, these programs could provide more insight on topics they are already interested in.
“Summer programs give me a chance to make more connections, learn and experience new things, and it mostly gives me something to do over the summer,” junior Gwen Montgomery elaborated.
Summer break is the longest break students are given to take a breather from their schoolwork and although this break seems simple in prospect, such a long period with nothing to do could make way for wasted time. With so much free time for many, some students find that it is easier to watch hours upon hours of mindless content, leading to a wide dissatisfaction with their own productivity. Combating this is simple, all it takes is a new routine for students to adjust into, one filled with hobbies and actual activities to keep them going.
