What Happened When She Shut Down Her Phone?

I recently had a college professor tell me about an assignment he gave to his class, as they were in the midst of studying anxiety. “I want you to put your phones aside for three days”, he said. “Do not look at them or use them. And, do not lie to me.” One student came to him after class to protest. “I hate this assignment!”, she said. This was a young lady who, like many of her classmates, was struggling to navigate her own battle with anxiety. Still, she took the challenge and came back to him after three days and told him this: “On day one, I was miserable and hated it. Day two was a bit easier. On day three I discovered what it was that was making me anxious.” This student’s experience is one that more and more young people are having as they muster up the courage to detach from their phones to see what might happen. In a world where our kids are tethered and addicted to their devices, they need parents who will set and enforce clear borders and boundaries that in the end, advance their flourishing.

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What Happened When She Shut Down Her Phone? is an episode from Youth Culture Today with Walt Mueller by CPYU.

This episode is 00:01:00 long.

This episode was published on May 13, 2026.

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