On Sept. 13, Franciscan University of Steubenville launched the pilot of its “Unplugged Scholarship,” a scholarship that awards financial aid to students that give up their smartphones during their college careers.
“Franciscan is leading the way and inviting a generation of young adults to detach from this digital universe,” said Justin Schneir ’99, an alumnus who helped to start this initiative, “a universe that has been holding many back from engaging in the joy of being a child of God.”
Justin, his wife, Hope, also Class of ’99, and a group of alumni started the Unplugged Scholarship. They plan for this scholarship to be a part of a larger movement called The Humanality Foundation, an initiative that will help curb digital dependence.
“The Humanality Foundation was created for the sole purpose of helping humans engage with reality by gaining control of their digital universe,” Justin said. “We value a life lived fully, a life connected to meaningful engagement with self, other and God.”
Although smartphones are an immensely efficient tool, often people become the product of the phone, Justin said.
“A lot of us have enjoyed the benefits that come with a smartphone, but we feel that we’re wanting to reclaim who we are and what’s been lost,” Hope said.
When Hope and Justin were in college at Franciscan, Big Tech hadn’t taken stage yet, they said.
“Coming of age in the ’90s was a sweet time,” Hope said. “We remember life without the internet; 50 years from now, no one will remember life without the internet.”
Justin said he enjoyed meeting people while walking to class. Neither of them walked with AirPods in on campus and instead learned to be at peace amid silence.
“We want to encourage people to take steps to reclaim what it means to be human,” Hope said. “Mostly, it’s having your relationships be more authentic and real, creating space in our lives for silence, and embracing the world that’s incarnate, the world that God made, rather than multi-living.”
On social media, it’s easy to live different lives on and offscreen, and often, we can miss what is right in front of us. But in college, students have everything they need within reach, Hope said. They have meal plans, dorms and classes close by, but they also have people God has placed in their midst, not on a screen.
In its pilot phase, the Unplugged Scholarship has granted 30 students a $5,000 scholarship. Franciscan had 171 students apply for the scholarship, according to Tim Delaney, the executive director of alumni and constituent relations at Franciscan.
Even though only 30 students received financial assistance, almost 50 students also chose to go smartphone-free, Delaney said….
The above comes from a Nov. 28 story in the National Catholic Register.
Good luck with that
They have students willing to take them up on the offer. I’ve seen too many young adults, including Catholics, unduly influenced (negatively) by social media, usually accessed via their smartphones. Young adults, and all of us, need more real face-to-face friends rather than virtual online “friends.” That was one of the great blessings I found at Franciscan while in graduate school there as did our “kids.” (And, that’s not counting the four of us who met our spouses there.) I’ve seen some people virtually addicted (pun intended?!) to social media and the internet. These students aren’t Luddites or troglodytes, as they still use personal computers. I hope this movement grows and we’ll see personal growth and inter-personal growth in real relationships. Some phone fasting never hurt anyone.
There are good things and bad things to it. It is probably the primary evangelization field and tool. They can pray the Mass, pray the Rosary, etc with apps. Phones can remind them when it is 3:00 if they want to pray the Chaplet of Mercy.
At Franciscan, many want to evangelize and they can see what is and isn’t effective online.
Phones allow them to keep up with friends and relatives.
I remember with the Malibu fires, Stevie Nicks did not have a cell phone and her friends were going crazy trying to find if she was OK. They did find her in one of the shelters.
Phones allow them to have Catholic contact outside of the university so they don’t feel like they are the only Catholics taking it seriously.
They need access to the Internet just to download their books.
And so many have mental health issues that the Internet (if you find the right sites) can be very helpful with.
Socially awkward people have something to talk about (look at this meme).
It is an extremely useful technology that kids should be taught how to use to their advantage and how to recognize the disadvantages.
So they can use a dumbphone? A basic cell phone?
A lot of the students don’t have cars but there are real safety issues in not having a phone if you are driving anywhere off campus.
Even if it just losing your dorm key or needing to let your roommate know something,
How do they get the lockdown messages if something bad happens? I guess someone will tell them.
This is not real smart.
I would never allow my child to do this.
If you are female, especially if you like to run or walk, you need a phone.
Not all mobile phones are smartphones. One can even get a temporary/disposable/burner phone. Having three daughters and a career in public safety, I’m aware of your concern. But, an “old fashioned” mobile phone provides for calls (in the event of an emergency) and texting. I’m not trying to convince you. But, I don’t think it’s a safety issue. And, on campus, one is pretty safe. Wandering around parts of Steubenville (or San Jose or any city), not so much. I do hope students have some mobile phone with them, especially when off campus. My thoughts.
There are safety issues on campus, especially for females. There are places in Steubenville that are safe but a lot of the city is crime and drugs.
But I agree a mobile phone could solve the safety issues.
Just call an Uber. Oh, you need a smartphone to do that. I see what you mean.