Jonathan Hite says he wants to bring fun back to college.
The professor at New York University’s Stern School of Management and author of the best-selling book “An Anxious Generation” has been teaching college students since the mid-1990s.
He has noticed a change in the atmosphere on campus in recent years, he said at a fireside gathering at New York University in early March to introduce the school’s newest initiative, NYU IRL. The school’s latest initiative aims to increase student visibility, including providing a phone-free space.
Hite said life on campus has become much more intense in recent years. He said universities once felt like a place where students were free to explore new ideas, but in the age of smartphones and social media, many people worry that what they say will be spread online and they will be expelled or “expelled.” Instead of openly discussing and learning from experts and each other, students often remain on the defensive.
He said this change occurred in tandem with the introduction of social media and smartphones, and the surge in mental health problems among young people that he had long warned about.
That’s where New York University’s new initiative comes in. This is an initiative to help students become more present and enjoy campus life again. In his advice to Gen Z members in the audience, Hite gave three tips for avoiding cell phone use.
“Please delete all slot machine apps from your phone”
Hite’s advice is to “delete all slot machine apps from your phone.” If you want to delete your profile completely or still feel the need to use an app like Instagram to communicate with other users, delete your profile on your phone and use it on your desktop computer.
“Don’t waste your time posting,” he told CNBC Make It. “Don’t look at other people’s posts, especially strangers.” If your friends primarily use Instagram to communicate, that’s fine.
“But take it off your phone, because it’s always with you,” he said.
Get your morning and night routine right
Next, Hite recommends developing healthy morning and evening habits.
For some people, like Harvard professor Arthur Brooks, a healthy morning routine means exercising first thing in the morning and engaging in analytical meditation, whether it’s attending Mass or doing Catholic meditation in the car. Brooks also recommends delaying your coffee intake, he previously told the podcast “Office Hours with Arthur Brooks.”
An optimal nighttime routine might mean creating a to-do list to ensure you accomplish your priorities today and the rest tomorrow, Shelby Harris, a licensed clinical psychologist, previously told CNBC Make It.
No matter how you structure your wake-up and bedtime routine, experts agree to avoid looking at your phone when you wake up and right before bed.
Use your phone for “maps, music, and basic texting”
Finally, Hite recommends turning off most notifications. This includes news updates and email notifications.
Clinical psychologist Nicole Berkens previously told Make It, “Many teens and adults find it helpful to turn off all or nearly all notifications to avoid distractions and reduce screen time.”
After all, Heidt doesn’t have a set amount of time for Gen Z to use their phones each day. What matters is how you use them.
“If their phone was really just a tool they use for maps, music, and basic texting, I wouldn’t give them a flat fee,” he told Make It.
The key, he said, is to avoid endless scrolling.
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