Media Fast: How it Used to be in The Past

By: David Durante

David Durante, Senior staff writer

Triton High School has specific students, like Josh Hemmerdinger and teachers, like Mrs. Flaherty, who will decide to participate in a ‘Media-Fast’, for one day. A Media Fast is a span of time in which people will take a break from media and spend the day, unconnected. Some people will enjoy the break, while others may be extremely stressed and depressed.

Media-fasts are supposed to benefit areas of life, such as more sleep, less stress, and more free time. The cell phones, television, and computers in high school are extremely popular and are in a part of every student’s life. Now what will happen if these internet connections are removed from the everyday lives of these people?

Margaret Flaherty, who is one of the most important people who know about the media fast. She has been doing it with classes in past years and she will this year as well. “This idea came up organically in a senior class discussion. We were reading a book that took place in the 1890’s and analyzing how society was different then,” stated Flaherty. The students also explained how technology, “had a disproportionate presence and power in their lives.” Flaherty immediately suggested a Media Fast to the students. She explains that too much technology causes a severe anxiety and stress in lives.

Flaherty also wants this generation to succeed, “I want this generation to be empowered in their choices. I also want them to be comfortable with quiet, with boredom, with sitting in their thoughts, with feeling their feelings,” said Flaherty. She explains how this technology is a good distraction from problems and it can be helpful to use it as a temporary aid but it still will leave the underlying causes of problems unsolved. Flaherty feels as though the media fast can help students or even teachers as well, to take a step back from everything that’s going on, on our phones, or on the internet and to just be in the present.

Sean Hirtle, senior, who is not happy about participating in the media-fast has some opinions towards the topic. “I just think it’s stupid because I feel like it isn’t a problem (too much social media) for our school work and I feel like I should feel comfortable using the things I own,” Hirtle stated.

Josh Hemmerdinger, senior, who is participating and is for the media fast. “I’m not doing it for a class or anything I’d just like to do it honestly,” said Hemmerdinger. He realizes classes are doing it especially Mr. Allen and Ms. Flaherty’s, but wants to do it for himself. “I feel like everyone is a little too much into their phones and everything,” Hemmerdinger said.

It seems that too much technology can stress some people out, and with some people it just consumes a lot of their time. If students can take a fast from this media for just a day, they can definitely understand how it directly affects them, whether it be good or very bad. Here are quotes from the day of the Media Fast.

Cody Crocker, senior, participated in our Triton Media Fast has information. “It was very hard, it stressed me out all day,” said Crocker. He had left his device (cell phone) at home. “I kept sketching when it wasn’t in my pockets,” he stated. Although Crocker had the stressful side he did view some upsides to the situation, “It did make me feel like I had more free-time,” said Crocker.