Embracing Missing Out

Each month, I gather all of the directors in Student Affairs to talk about strategic topics that will enhance our work with our students. This November, our topic was digital well-being. This was a new concept to me and many of my peers. I invited my colleague Laurie Fritsch in Hokie Wellness and Christina Crook, founder of the JoMo (Joy of Missing Out) method and author of the 2015 book called the “Joy of Missing Out: Finding Balance in a Wired World,” to educate us on this topic. They explained that digital well-being is characterized by harmony between our physical and digital environments. It includes developing healthy online behaviors and practices so that we can be positive contributors to communities online and in real life.

Research confirms that there are real risks and harm associated with excessive device usage. National assessments of college student health confirm that high levels of technology consumption, like social media scrolling, contribute to attention-seeking behavior and the fear of missing out. These behaviors among teens and young adults have led to unprecedented levels of anxiety, distraction, loneliness and, in some cases, physical harm. This is particularly timely because the pandemic accelerated our reliance on devices, especially in academic environments. We know students spend more time on devices than ever before. Much of our students’ academic work requires device usage. Researchers at the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University noted that the distractions in the class are connected to device use. They caution that the easy answer is to blame the device for the issue. But the truth is that many of us fall prey to the illusion of multitasking made possible by easy access to apps and the internet, which are detrimental to learning.

In the face of these complex realities, we are exploring a bold question — how can Virginia Tech foster a healthier and more mindful digital environment? I found this idea particularly interesting, because much of the discussion that I had seen prior around how to address device usage was focused on limits and restrictions. What if instead, we focused on building our digital well-being?

We have a unique opportunity to help students build habits and behaviors that lead to a digital life that supports their goals and includes thoughtful consideration of the role of technology in pursuit of these goals. Shaming ourselves and others for using devices doesn’t get to the heart of the matter. Instead, we can focus on how our goals can be supported by healthy device use, personalized limits, and a healthy awareness of the risks associated with device usage.

I want to share an activity that we did at our meeting that you can try at home. On a sheet of paper, brainstorm things you like and dislike about device usage. Take about three minutes with each prompt. Write what comes to your mind and without judgement. Then, take a look at your responses. If you did this with others, hear what they wrote for each prompt.

If you do the activity, I bet you will feel the same as we did when we shared our lists. We laughed and applauded over things like always having a map and a flashlight, easy access to joyful photographs, cat videos, recipes, music, games, and talking to people on the phone. The room was much less exuberant with the next set of responses. We collectively groaned when someone shared feeling tethered to their phone, the stress of constantly feeling available, the mindless “time suck” of scrolling social media, and the feeling of missing out that often comes with scrolling.

We have an opportunity to help ourselves and our students embrace a life where we don’t feel tethered to devices. Together, we can build an environment that fosters healthy relationships with our devices while allowing ourselves space to focus on our well-being.

Frances Keene
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs