To help raise awareness of the dangers of excessive social media use, Warren Coalition created “Warren County Unplugged,” a community effort to encourage individuals of all ages to get off of their phones (or at least social media) for a day (or so). This 24-hour event is held in conjunction with the Global Day of Unplugging the first weekend in March, which was March 6-7 this year. During Warren County Unplugged, people of all ages are encouraged to sign up to unplug and were entered into a prize drawing for doing so. The first year, a total of 55 people signed up; the following year, that number was 108. This year, 132 signed up.
“We coordinate events all over the County, and the point of those events is to make it easier for folks stay off of their phones,” said organizer Celeste Brooks, Deputy Director of the Warren Coalition. “Our ultimate goal is to raise awareness about how social media impacts mental health, especially for our youth, and to get people to make a plan to stay off of their phones, or at least off of social media, for a little while.”
Since 2012, smartphone use by teens has increased, and anxiety, depression, and loneliness have skyrocketed. Social media companies deliberately designed their algorithms to be addictive, which could potentially prime the teen brain for substance use disorders (addiction) later in life. In fact, studies have already shown that teens who regularly use social media are more likely to buy cigarettes, drink alcohol, and/or use marijuana.
As part of this year’s Warren County Unplugged activities, children of all grade levels (and parents as well) enjoyed a variety of activities at Friday night’s Youth Unplugged Party, hosted by the Coalition, Warren County Parks & Recreation, Warren County Young Life, and Scouting America. Those activities included tossing beach balls into “granny pants” worn by Dave Goss and Ed Daley, The Quiet Game, arts and crafts, archery, bingo, 9-square in the air, Volley Bound, basketball, and an inflatable gaga pit.
“Warren Coalition hosted the elementary school student activities, and it was heart-warming to see the families enjoying time together without a phone in sight,” said Brooks.
Additional Friday evening activities included karaoke hosted by Reaching Out Now at Santmyers Student Union, a Scottish Cèilidh at Samuels Public Library, and a Hyper Party at the Royal Family Bowling Center. Brooks estimated that there were well over 350 people at the various events held on Friday evening.
Saturday brought a push of attention to local retail stores and the downtown area, with kid-friendly stores like Play Favorites and Main Street Geek offering discounts and free activities. Habitat for Humanity of Warren County hosted Backyard Games at the Gazebo with an inflatable obstacle course and entertainment by the talented students from the School of Rock in Haymarket. On Cue Sports Bar hosted a casino-style fundraiser, and Ruby Yoga offered a discount on several classes throughout the day.
Altogether, 37 businesses and organizations came together to provide some sort of phone-free experience for the Warren County community. An additional 15 restaurants allowed the Coalition to place “table tents” of information on their tables in the weeks leading up to the event, helping to promote awareness of the risks of excessive social media use and awareness of Warren County Unplugged.
“We are deeply thankful that so many organizations recognize the importance of this event and the issue it addresses,” said Brooks. “This day helps us all become a little more aware of what the concerns are, for both ourselves and our kids.”
Those who signed up online are eligible for an upcoming prize drawing. A survey has been sent out to them, and those who complete it will receive an extra two entries into the drawing, which will be held on March 20th.
Warren Coalition is a nonprofit agency established in 1994 to help fill the gaps in health care and substance abuse awareness to the community. The Coalition began under the guidance of Warren Memorial Hospital as an outreach project, but it has since grown and was incorporated in 2001. The office is currently located in the Warren County Community Center. Their mission is to make Warren County a safe, healthy, and drug free community through many programs and in collaboration with 15+ member agencies.
