Walk across any college campus today, and you’ll see a familiar sight: students engrossed in their phones, even when surrounded by friends. Laptops and tablets are constant companions at lunch, and earbuds seem to be standard issue. Many sit in silence, eyes glued to their screens, waiting for classes to begin.
This scene became exasperating for Seán Killingsworth, a 22-year-old former University of Central Florida student. During his sophomore year, he found himself asking, “What kind of life am I signing up for?” He felt like he was constantly surrounded by “zombies.”
Seán longed for a place where he could simply talk with his classmates without feeling like he was interrupting their screen time. He’d faced similar issues in high school, where he’d successfully organized phone-free gatherings with friends.
Why couldn’t college be the same?
In 2023, he took action, introducing the idea of phone-free social gatherings to two Florida campuses: the University of Central Florida and Rollins College. He named it the Reconnect Movement: During meetings, participants hand over their phones and engage in device-free conversations. This concept quickly attracted many students seeking similar connections. The movement has since grown, expanding to six schools in four states, and even hosted its first public phone-free event in New York this September, with plans for Orlando and Tampa soon.
The rising popularity of Reconnect aligns perfectly with a broader cultural shift in how adults and adolescents view smartphones and social media.
Mental health experts have increasingly voiced concerns about the potential harms of digital media, despite the challenge of definitively linking technology to the growing rates of loneliness, anxiety, and depression among young people. Initiatives like “Wait Until 8th” and popular books such as Jonathan Haidt’s “The Anxious Generation” resonate strongly with parents. Furthermore, a growing number of states are enacting laws to prohibit phones in public schools.
While many student-led movements advocate for complete phone abstinence, the Reconnect Movement takes a different approach. It doesn’t pressure students to drastically alter their tech habits. Instead, it focuses on building what Seán calls “human connection habitats” – environments designed to naturally foster interaction, removing the reliance on individual willpower to resist devices.
During Reconnect meetings, a dedicated “phone valet” collects everyone’s smartphones, placing them safely in a backpack until the activities conclude.
Reconnect founder Seán Killingsworth first envisioned phone-free gatherings during his high school years. Now, this simple yet powerful idea has grown, reaching colleges and cities nationwide.
Seán acknowledges that the concept isn’t entirely new, but emphasizes that novelty isn’t the goal for his generation. “Gen Z needs a sense of normal that we’ve never truly experienced,” he explains.
Creating Spaces for Genuine Connection
On a recent humid afternoon, nearly 40 students convened at the University of Central Florida’s arboretum for the inaugural Reconnect meeting of the fall semester. After handing over their devices to a “phone valet,” they settled onto colorful blankets, ready for an hour free from screens.
With reggae music from the band Stick Figure playing softly from a CD player, students gradually began to make eye contact and strike up conversations. The atmosphere felt like a delightful step back in time, perhaps 20 years ago.
Mia Shaffner, 20, president of U.C.F.’s Reconnect club, notes that students often feel awkward at the beginning of meetings. She describes phones as “digital pacifiers,” explaining that her peers instinctively scroll when feeling uneasy. However, by the end of the session, they typically find themselves chatting comfortably, realizing that real conversation is “not nearly as difficult as they imagine.”
To kick things off, Mia prompted the group to introduce themselves and share a high and low point from their week. Taylor Radtke, 20, the club’s social media coordinator (who also brought delicious brown butter M&M cookies), shared her high: getting a tattoo of a striped cat in boots and a cowboy hat, complete with a lasso – a whimsical tribute to her cats, Bandit and Lucky, back in Wisconsin.
This personal anecdote naturally became a fantastic conversation starter when students later broke into one-on-one chats.
“It opened the door for me to talk about my other tattoos and their meanings, and that led to discussions about our interests and pets,” Ms. Radtke recounted. “You really never know what you might discover you have in common.”
Reconnect events vary, from hikes followed by cookouts to group art sessions or even guided meditations, a particularly popular choice during exam periods.
Today, however, the agenda was simply conversation.
“A club like this prevents me from just staying in my dorm, eating, and rotting in bed,” confessed Daniel Lindemann, an 18-year-old freshman. He joined Reconnect to achieve his daily goal of meeting four new people.
During a recent Reconnect session at U.C.F., students enjoyed homemade cookies and shared introductions, fostering a sense of community.
When asked if he’d found any other environments where his peers weren’t constantly on their phones, he paused, deep in thought.
“Not really,” he admitted.
Navigating a Digitally-Dominated Social Landscape
On college campuses, where students are frequently engrossed in screens, genuine attempts at real-world connection can often go unnoticed.
Isabella Ortiz, an 18-year-old freshman majoring in biotechnology, joined Reconnect to expand her social circle. She recounted a recent unsuccessful attempt to interact with another student on campus. “I like your hair,” she’d said, but the other student, absorbed in their headphones, never heard her.
Isabella feels that everyone at school, herself included, is ‘chronically online.’ She’s attempted to delete social media apps before, but confesses, “it hasn’t been very successful.”
Seán himself once struggled with compulsive phone checking. He described a constant, 24/7 internal pressure: “I’d feel a notification, think it was an email, and feel obligated to respond immediately.”
Social media comparisons also took a toll. “Snapchat made me more self-conscious about my appearance than I’d ever been,” he shared. On Instagram, watching skilled skateboarders perform impressive tricks in fantastic parks made him feel inadequate.
Ultimately, he deleted all social media and now uses a flip phone, believing that his smartphone was hindering his ability to live a “happy life.” In a speech last fall, he starkly warned that phones “weaken and destroy” social ecosystems, labeling Gen Z’s social environment a “wasteland.”
However, not all experts agree on the extent of digital media’s negative impact. Psychologist Candice L. Odgers, for instance, has questioned whether it’s truly the ‘boogeyman’ it’s often portrayed to be. She suggests that increased social media use might be a reflection of existing symptoms of depression or anxiety, rather than a direct cause of these mental health issues. Dr. Odgers and other researchers also highlight that social media platforms can offer unique avenues for self-expression and connection.
Despite the concerns, surveys indicate that teenagers generally appreciate taking breaks from their devices. A 2023 Pew Research Center study revealed that roughly three-quarters of teens felt happier or more peaceful without their smartphones. Yet, over 40 percent also confessed to feeling anxious, upset, or lonely when separated from their devices.
At the conclusion of a Reconnect meeting, Sofia Brunetta, the club’s vice president, returns everyone’s phones, marking the end of their unplugged time.
Interestingly, Seán noted that once phones are set aside at Reconnect gatherings, participants often report a decrease in anxiety.
By the end of next year, Seán expects 11 new Reconnect chapters to launch in high schools, colleges, and cities. While the movement is gaining momentum, the commitment to a truly phone-free environment remains a significant hurdle for some prospective members.
During the recent U.C.F. meeting, one young woman, initially intrigued, approached the group. However, when Seán offered to “valet” her phone, she paused, clearly uncomfortable.
“I thought we just weren’t supposed to use them – I didn’t realize you actually took them away,” she explained, before deciding, “I think I’m just going to go.”