On Wednesday, February 28, more than 100 students, along with several of the English teachers, embarked on a 24-hour “media fast.” For the moment they woke up on February 28 until the moment they woke up February 29, the group pledged to avoid as much media as they could, whether it be through their phones, computers, television, or other electronic devices. Some made it the full 24 hours, many did not.

Below is a collection of student’s reactions from their media-free day, taken from the papers they wrote afterwards that asked them to reflect on their experiences.

“I thought that it really showed us as students how much we use technology and that if that goes away, we kind of go crazy as a whole.”— Nathaniel Schmuch

“I also found myself talking to people more, mostly classmates, and just having more meaningful conversations.” —Luke Groder

“People only have confidence to say intimate or serious things when they’re hiding behind their screens.” — Emily Muzi

“For me, the media is a tool, and without that tool, it was not that I couldn’t pound the nail, I just didn’t have the hammer to do so.” — Nick Perreault

“So I decided to build a table.” — Tom Powis

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“I just tried to drown all the music out of my head.“ — Logan Hart

“School wasn’t too hard to go about, although the library seemed like a sin-zone.” – David Durante

“I am addicted to my phone. I am the person who is so attached to their phone that I will walk into somebody in the hallway because I am so glued to my screen.” — Katie MacDonald

¨We only had TV and Club Penguin on our desktop computers (when we were younger), but now social media has pretty much taken over our lives.¨ — Julia Plummer

“Rethink how you live.” — Vasilios Karamatsios

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“I think that I felt much more distant with my friends during the fast, but much closer with my family.” — Rachel Lees

“I found myself using some of the same coping skills that I have taken to deal with my everyday anxiety.” — Lindsey Laudenslager

“The day before the media fast, I was sick in bed and watched movies all day long. Then, the next day was the media fast, so there was a big contrast, and it felt good.” — Owen Heffernan

“This media fast has shown me that I truly am addicted to my phone.” — Sofie DeSimone

“I walked away from this lesson realizing how much my generation is sucked into our phones, and we are truly addicted to social media.” — Alessandra Basile

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“This opened my eyes to how everyone is always looking down at their phones and not looking up at life and the people they pass.” — Meri Fullford

“I didn’t realize how much we miss about the things around us when we have our heads buried in our phones.” — Aliyah Frasca

“It is an electronic accessory that is on our person at all times.” — Erica Lops

“We had nice conversations and actually looked at each other, instead of looking down at our phones and nodding.” — Bella Kreticos

“People should continue to live their lives, with or without electronics.” — Caitlyn Roberge

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“ I think it was important and a good wake up call for students who did the media fast.”– Marlee Smith

“I woke up on Wednesday, February 28th, to a whole new world, one without any media or screens” — Ryan Farrell

“That was the moment I realized I am addicted to my phone.” — Caitlyn Chaisson

“I noticed I was a lot more productive with no distractions and got a lot more done with no technology.” — Audrey Caron

I advised myself to try and be separate from the phone from that point on, even just a little bit to enhance the essence of life.” Henrik Ernst

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“It really made me realize that every person around me seemed so oblivious to the little things in life.” – Ivy Simms

“After the media fast, believe it or not, I actually felt more relaxed and healthier.” — Savannah Nolan

“Most students have a glazed-over look as they look at their phones, clearly not absorbing anything around them, furthering their ignorance about what is happening outside of their lives.” — Hannah Marsh

“I often feel blocked out by people surrounding me on their phones, and it baffles me.” — Josh Rolfe

“The further into the future we go, the more involved and reliant we will be on media.” — Matt Toppi

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“At some points throughout the day, I panicked about where my phone was because I kept forgetting it was media fast day.” — Emily Wood

“Even if we think we don’t use our phones a lot, we end up using some sort of electronic device every day.” — Paige Zukowski

“I do not think phones and the internet are such bad things, and I honestly think the ‘bad’ effects that the media and adults like to talk about all of the time regarding millennials are overplayed and the many advantages overlooked.” — Grace Tanch