In early March, I began my five-month-long study abroad experience in Leipzig, Germany. In the few weeks I’ve lived here, I’ve met other exchange students from countries all over the world. One thing I noticed while I was getting to know my fellow students was my lack of cell phone usage while spending time with them.
According to the Pew Research Center, 55% of teenagers report spending time with friends via an online platform, whether that be online gaming or social media. For me, this number manifests itself differently. At home, I am guilty of sitting on my phone when I’m supposed to be spending time with my friends, occasionally showing them something interesting I scrolled and found or playing a game while we’re talking.
My experience with cell phone use in America and the fact that it is easier than ever to be digitally connected led me to assume that cell phone usage would be approximately the same in Germany. However, I was surprised to observe that a phone is rarely visible at the table when I spend time with new friends. Even more surprisingly, my own urge to reach for my phone in social settings has disappeared almost completely.
That trend may be partly due to the location of our study abroad experience. According to Statista, 22% of Americans spend nearly the whole day on their phones, while 12% of Germans report the same amount of daily screen time. However, those numbers do not reflect the variety of nationalities represented in my cohort. This led me to the conclusion that the difference comes from our standing as international students.
By choosing to study abroad, we all recognize that our purpose here is to immerse ourselves in the local culture rather than spend time scrolling on our phones, which can be done anywhere in the world. This has resulted in deeper connections between myself and those I am studying with, as well as an increased sense of presentness in my daily life.
Experiencing a new environment, from new sights to unfamiliar smells, takes over the senses and forces them into heightened alertness. I am constantly wandering into new environments in this city alongside people I am still getting to know. This increased alertness has caused me to focus on my surroundings and fully immerse myself in them without distractions.
Studying abroad has granted me new experiences and relationships that I would never have found in the U.S. I feel more inclined to spend my time exploring a new place or going out to dinner rather than spend my downtime in my room engaging with screens. My attention feels more focused, and I feel more connected with myself and my surroundings than I ever have before.
I hope these habits don’t disappear when I return home in the fall. Spending four years in the same town has always felt like a lifetime to me, so I believe I have falsely convinced myself that I don’t have an obligation to make the most of every day in Athens. However, over just a few weeks, I have been inspired to expect more from every day. I’ve found enjoyment in simple things, like people-watching and getting coffee between classes, and I would hate to think that this enjoyment has to disappear when I return home.
Just because my environment in Athens is more familiar doesn’t mean it has to be monotonous, which is an attitude I believe my consistent level of screen time at home has created. I hope the sense of presentness I feel overseas doesn’t go away, and I believe every college student could benefit from that feeling. I will work toward that goal by continuing to disengage from my phone and focus my attention on my surroundings, and I encourage students worldwide to try it.
Sophia Rooksberry is a sophomore studying journalism. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Sophia know by tweeting her @sophiarooks_.
