Can College Students Put Down Their Phones for an Hour?
Warm-up Questions: (1) How much time do you spend on your phone each day? (2) When was the last time you were away from your phone? How long were you apart?
On many college campuses, students almost always carry their phones. They text while walking to class and scroll through social media as they wait for lectures. Silence often becomes screen time, and conversation stops.
One student, Seán Killingsworth, felt worried about this habit. "It was just like I'm talking to a bunch of zombies," he said. He missed real conversation and wanted fewer distractions.
In 2023, Killingsworth started the Reconnect Movement. Students hand over their phones at the door and spend an hour socializing without screens.
During these phone-free meetups, students sit together, listen to music, and talk. At first it can feel awkward, said one club leader. Many people use their phone as a digital pacifier when they feel nervous. After a few minutes, they relax and enjoy the conversation.
Experts still debate how smartphones affect mental health. Some studies say taking a break helps people feel calmer and happier. Other research says social media can support students who want to express themselves and stay connected.
Students say the meetings help them reconnect with friends and classmates. Killingsworth calls them "human connection habitats," places where people can remember how natural conversation feels.
The group hopes that practicing this habit makes students notice how often they reach for a distraction. By being present together, they learn to balance technology with real people.
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Listen to the audio and complete the gaps below:
One student, Seán Killingsworth, felt worried about this (2) __________. "It was just like I'm talking to a bunch of zombies," he said. He missed real conversation and wanted fewer distractions.
In 2023, Killingsworth started the Reconnect (3) __________. Students hand over their phones at the door and spend an hour socializing without screens.
During these phone-free meetups, students sit together, listen to music, and talk. At first it can feel awkward, said one club leader. Many people use their phone as a digital (4) __________ when they feel nervous. After a few minutes, they relax and enjoy the conversation.
Experts still debate how smartphones affect mental health. Some studies say taking a break helps people feel calmer and happier. Other research says social media can support students who want to express themselves and stay connected.
Students say the meetings help them reconnect with friends and classmates. Killingsworth calls them "human connection habitats," places where people can remember how natural conversation feels.
The group hopes that practicing this habit makes students notice how often they reach for a distraction. By being (5) __________ together, they learn to balance technology with real people.
Comprehension
Answer each question by selecting True or False, then click Check Answers to see your results.
Comprehension
1. Students in the Reconnect Movement keep their phones in their pockets. TRUE/FALSE
2. Some students feel nervous at first during the meetups. TRUE/FALSE
3. Some experts think social media can help students. TRUE/FALSE
4. The goal of the Reconnect Movement is to stop using technology forever. TRUE/FALSE
Vocabulary n = noun, v = verb, adj = adjective, adv = adverb, prep = preposition, phr. v = phrasal verb, pl = plural
Drag each vocabulary word to its matching definition:
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Vocabulary
Match each vocabulary word with a definition:
1. Habit (n)
2. Distraction (n)
3. Reconnect (v)
4. Movement (n)
5. Awkward (adj)
6. Pacifier (n)
7. Present (adj)
8. Conversation (n)
a) A talk between two or more people.
b) Focused on the people and things happening right now.
c) An object that helps calm a baby; here it means something used for comfort.
d) Feeling uncomfortable or unsure in a social situation.
e) A group of people working together for the same idea or change.
f) To link or communicate with someone again after a break.
g) Something that takes your attention away from what you want to do.
h) Something you do often, usually without thinking about it.
Discussion
- Would you join a phone-free meetup? Why or why not?
- Do phones make it difficult to concentrate on other things?
- Do you ever get the feeling that you are surrounded by zombies?
- What are some of the problems we have because of technology?
- What are some of the problems that technology has solved for us?
- When was the last time you felt awkward in a conversation? What happened?
- How can being present help you listen better to other people?
- What distractions make it hard to stay focused when you study?
- A pacifier helps babies feel calm. Does your phone work like that for you?
- What changes could help you have a better balance? For example, more time outside or less homework?
Answers
Listening:
- phones
- habit
- Movement
- pacifier
- present
Comprehension:
- False. Participants hand over their phones before the meeting begins.
- True. Leaders say the first minutes can feel awkward without a phone.
- True. Researchers note that online spaces can support students who want to express themselves.
- False. Killingsworth says the goal is to build spaces for human connection, not to quit technology.
Vocabulary:
- Habit (n): Something you do often, usually without thinking about it.
- Distraction (n): Something that takes your attention away from what you want to do.
- Reconnect (v): To link or communicate with someone again after a break.
- Movement (n): A group of people working together for the same idea or change.
- Awkward (adj): Feeling uncomfortable or unsure in a social situation.
- Pacifier (n): An object that helps calm a baby; here it means something used for comfort.
- Present (adj): Focused on the people and things happening right now.
- Conversation (n): A talk between two or more people.