By Ian Stewart
I have written countless times about how great I think all the activities I partake in at PHS are and how I am so glad that I signed up for them, but I have just about reached the point at which I feel almost overcommitted, and I think a large part of this feeling is the result of recent technology.
I sat down to read a short book this weekend, and found that I couldn’t get through more than two pages before my phone started buzzing with notifications from Facebook Messenger. There were some messages from friends regarding things I could ignore until I was done reading, but a majority of them were from people in my activities who were asking me to do things.
“Can you contact them about next month?” “Where is the sectional thisweek?” “Can you email the advisor about adding a rehearsal on Monday?”
These messages eventually became so numerous and seemingly timely that I went to address them, and 20 minutes later I had completely forgotten that I was trying to read my book in the first place.
I am the type of person who is always on top of their work, dealing with and resolving any pending issues as they arise. However, this practice has reached a point of unproductivity for me in the sense that I can no longer comfortably juggle schoolwork and extracurriculars at once. While in previous years I was able to go to club meetings, occasionally receive emails and texts about activities, and reserve my time at home for actual homework, the invasion of my activities into Facebook Messenger has severely limited my available homework time, and going back and forth between schoolwork and extracurricular coordinating renders my schedule even more inefficient.
However, I recently found a mode on my phone that I knew existed but never really considered using. Previously only activated during movies and family dinners, “do not disturb,” which prevents iPhones from buzzing or making noise when you get a text or Facebook Message, has become quite useful when I need to use my time efficiently or need a certain level of focus to complete a task or assignment.
When I first started using it, it was a little concerning when I finally did check my messages to see everything all at once, but when I use this feature I am definitely a more effective worker.
Taking things one step at a time may seem like a hard thing to do when there are so many items that need to be done, but it allows for a more structured and efficient schedule. While previously I did 10 problems of math, sent two emails, did three more problems, then edited an article for the school newspaper, I now can focus on and finish all my math problems at once, then move on to coordinating and working on extracurricular chores.
Getting caught up with work and feeling like you’re buried in tasks that just keep coming is common for everyone, especially high schoolers. However, I try to reserve some time every week to have fun with family and friends outside of a school environment and just relax, even if I haven’t resolved every pending piece of work that looms.
Sometimes I step back and realize that I am more than halfway through high school already, and this thought is both exciting and extremely terrifying. I need moments during which I don’t have to worry about anything, otherwise I may never appreciate the last few years I will spend in the home and town I grew up in.
People are always asking if modern technology like cell phones is a blessing or curse, and it is most certainly a blessing. Without the instant communication we have today, coordinating meetings, organizing get togethers with friends, and researching information would be nearly impossible given the amount of time it would take to complete all of these tasks without the technology we have.
However, there is a point at which “instant communication” becomes a little too instant and insistent, and sometimes we need to appreciate where we are when we are there, especially during these pivotal pre-college years.
Ian Stewart is a junior at Princeton High School.
