Luddite: noun; a person opposed to new technology or ways of working. Though this term typically has a derogatory connotation, teens are turning that around and using it as a tool for self improvement, inspiring many others to do the same. Flip phones are the new trend in alternative culture. Luddite is the new punk.

The trend started at a New York high school where students formed a “Luddite club.” Students give up their phones either permanently or they just go to the mandatory phone-free meetings. Some students have even taken it as far as throwing their phones in the ocean and leaving these connections behind.  This expensive idea is problematic for some teens.  “I don’t think it should be so extreme, but we are expected to know how to use tech and with that we need to enhance our ability with something that we can have on hand. There should be more educational usage for sure,” said senior Zander Walton.

Some argue that you can learn plenty from social media but on the other hand, algorithms learn more about you than you’re learning from them. Self awareness can help in lessening our time on social media networks but algorithms find a way to keep you hooked. This is the reason for students deciding to quit phone usage cold turkey.

The New York Times article, “Luddite Teens Don’t Want Your Likes,” is inspiring students across the country to drop their phones and live in the moment. It’s becoming a fad in alternative culture to dispose of phones and/or social media accounts. The world is fascinated that the target audience of phone companies are doing the opposite of what is expected. Teenagers went from being technologically advanced people to being anti-cell phone.

The only problem with jumping to extremes, such as throwing your phone in the water, is that technology is becoming essential to our way of living, making it difficult to find a healthy balance. Sophomore Olivia Goodine said, “I think it could be beneficial to use less technology. It would be really good for mental health because there would be less comparing ourselves to other people.” Though this perspective is common, the ownership of a phone can make or break your career. We live in a society where our community’s perception of us is heavily influenced by our social media presence and digital footprint (or lack thereof).

Having time for self reflection is extremely beneficial to our quality of life. If we’re constantly putting ourselves in a spot where we have to put on a face to impress our followers then we’re not really living, we’re just alive. Even if we don’t go as extreme as throwing our phones in the Aroostook River, we can learn from these teens. Put your phone in your back pocket for an hour or two and experience something real.