Popular TED Talk speaker brings Project Reboot message to RMA

The average 18-year-old can look forward to 334 months of free time assuming they live to the age of 90. Most people are on track to spend 312 of those months looking unproductively at a screen.

Last week, the students, parents and staff at Rocky Mount Academy had the opportunity to attend a presentation about Project Reboot, which — instead of saying we should never use technology — asks us to be more mindful and intentional about our use. Founder Dino Ambrosi’s mission is to inform people, especially teens, of the dangers of an unhealthy relationship with technology.

Ambrosi argues that our devices are great tools that can help with school and work, as well as entertain us, but they also take up a huge amount of our time because we’re not using them wisely.

Speaking of time, the constant jump from one short video to the next has caused attention spans — at least in younger generations — to be less than ideal even when we’re doing something fun or interesting. Mackenzie Hartley, a sophomore at RMA, acknowledged, “I can’t sit through a two-hour movie anymore without getting on my phone.”

Furthermore, we turn to technology when we want to distract ourselves from uncomfortable feelings, whether those are negative emotions or just boredom; that avoidance leads to a lack of coping skills, and we turn to technology again when we can’t deal with the next uncomfortable situation.

Acknowledging this problem, Rocky Mount Academy has decided to take steps to keep the goals of Project Reboot alive. After a teacher-free lunch spent chatting with Ambrosi, interested high school students decided to create a club to hold each other accountable and encourage a healthier approach to technology use.

As for the school’s youngest students, parents of lower schoolers were given the opportunity to attend a presentation about Project Reboot last week since they are the ones making decisions about their children’s devices.

Head of School Beth Murphy said she has had several lower-school families ask her for guidance as they look toward a future that will surely include cell phones for their children, so Ambrosi’s presentation was a welcomed opportunity for a fresh perspective. Murphy said she believes that this is guidance that we can all use — regardless of our age.

But one doesn’t have to attend a TED talk to take charge of tech use. Many small changes can help improve one’s relationship with technological devices.

Features that are standard and accessible on all phones — such as the Do Not Disturb function — are a great starting place to limit distractions. Apps available for download such as ClearSpace are quick and easy to set up and let users choose how to limit time on social media; the app will remind users when their time is up or when they have already opened a certain app several times that day.

Another way to combat the negative effects of technology is to shift to longer forms of entertainment. Instead of 15-second clips on social media, watch a full movie or even a TV show. Other great alternatives include podcasts and audiobooks, which keeps consumers informed and entertained while helping to lengthen attention span.

To learn more about improving one’s own relationship with social media and technology, visit projectreboot.school or stream Dino Ambrosi’s TED Talk, The Battle for Your Time: Exposing the Costs of Social Media.