In response to an increased number of teen suicides in the community, a group of Littleton teens started the Offline October movement. And it's starting to catch on.
"Don't post a story. Live one," the students posted on their Offline October website, before "unplugging" and going dark for the month. Also, "meet with people, don't tweet to people." With the time spent on social media taking over teenagers' lives and dictating how they feel about themselves, a group of 25 Littleton teens from multiple schools have combined forces to encourage teenagers around the country (and the world) to take a much-needed break. The students believe that social media is a factor in increased depression and the resulting influx in teen suicides. There were three teen suicides in the Denver metro area within three days, shortly after the school year began. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=92&v=5qwB_t1KW40[/embed] "Social media really shows the ingenuity and a false reality," Joe Roberts, a junior, told 9News. "Everyone's posting their perfect pictures, posting their perfect lives and perfect stories...but in reality, everyone's lives aren't all that perfect."
And so far, 1,320 students from 200 schools in 26 states and six countries have taken the pledge to stay off of social media for the month of October. The initiative has reached as far as China, with kids in Germany, Finland, Italy, and Canada also participating.
The challenge is meant for people to realize the importance of human relationships and the happiness that can come from direct human interaction," the website says. "Teenagers have lost the art of talking face to face with one another. By removing social media for October, students will choose to talk to one another face to face or over the phone instead of through social media applications."Social media usage statistics are astounding (and as a mom of a teen, myself, I can attest to this!), but teenagers typically check their phones an average of 157 times per day, clocking a daily total of four hours on Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, among other apps.
More than 150 students gathered at Clement Park in Littleton on Sunday, October 1, to kick off the month with a pancake breakfast and to play games in the park. Together, they deleted the social media apps from their phones.
And the group isn't without ideas for how to fill the void of time left by the absence of social media. The website lists several get-togethers scheduled throughout the month, as well as a growing "bucket list" of nearly 80 alternative ways to more usefully and creatively spend one's time -- like going to a concert, hosting a bonfire, or starting a flashmob.
Though we wanted to reach the organizers for comment about how Offline October is going for them so far, it would have required contacting them in some way other than social media ... like tracking down a cell phone number (that's so old-fashioned!). So we gave up and decided to let them be.
If you're a teen interested in taking the pledge, click here, and maybe we'll see you again in November! And on a serious note, if you find yourself struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide, please call Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners at 844-493-8255 or text the word "TALK" to 38255.
What are your thoughts about Offline October? Do you think this is something that adults could benefit from, too? Share your comments below!
