Older millennials – generally those born in the early 1980s through the early 1990s – were the last generation to experience childhood before social media and smartphones. Younger millennials and members of Generation Z – many born in the mid-1990s and after – grew up during social media’s boom.
Through my work with Millennial Rhode Island, where for more than ten years we have helped connect young professionals and community leaders throughout the state, I see a familiar dynamic: people are gathering together in person while still being pulled back into their phones.
There is no doubt that social media has brought us together in many ways. But it has also divided us and, at times, kept us from being fully connected in person. Walk into almost any restaurant or coffee shop today and you will see people sitting together while still checking their phones every few minutes. As much as I try to be present during social and networking experiences, I know I am guilty of reaching for my phone too often, sometimes checking a text, scrolling through social media, or looking at email when I should be focused on the people right in front of me.
Research increasingly points to the negative impacts of constant screen time and social media use. Americans now spend an estimated four to seven hours per day on their smartphones and digital screens, and studies from the American Psychological Association and the U.S. Surgeon General have linked heavy social media use to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and attention difficulties among younger generations. In fact, a recent U.S. Surgeon General warned that loneliness carries health risks comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Public schools are beginning to respond. In the Providence Public School District, schools have begun implementing stricter no-phone policies during the school day, recognizing that fewer digital distractions can help students focus, learn, and connect more meaningfully with the people around them. But while students may be putting their phones away in classrooms, many adults remain just as hooked.
Because of this, we at Millennial Rhode Island have been exploring programming where we ask people to stay off their phones.
One example: an “Unplugged” networking experience where attendees are encouraged to be fully present with the people around them. The first event will take place April 16 at the historic Providence Art Club, an environment filled with art, conversation, and members of our community coming together to connect and build relationships.
But the goal is bigger than a single event. Later this year, Millennial Rhode Island hopes to explore partnerships with businesses and community organizations focused on mental health and burnout, with the simple but powerful goal of helping people form real friendships and relationships.
At a time when many people say they feel more disconnected than ever, communities need spaces where people can gather, talk, and build relationships without a screen between them. Rhode Island has always been a place where connections matter, where friendships, mentorship, and community ties shape opportunity. Rebuilding those spaces for genuine human connection may be one of the most important investments we can make in the wellbeing of our communities.
So here is a challenge.
Next time you sit down with friends, go to a networking event, or meet someone new, try putting your phone away.
I know this is easier said than done. Even as I write this, I am more aware of how often I reach for my phone. But that’s the point. If we can start by asking a little more of ourselves and each other, we can begin to rebuild the kind of connection that screens can’t replace.
Our lives cannot exist only online. They need to be fully lived together.
Travis Escobar is the Founding President of Millennial Rhode Island and a lifelong resident of Providence.
Millennial Rhode Island’s “Art After Dark: Unplugged Networking Social” will take place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 16th at the Providence Art Club. For details and tickets, go to Eventbrite.com.
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