Students are ready. Are we?
As we turn another calendar page and transition into August, students are preparing to navigate a system that still lacks a comprehensive strategy for tackling stress, overwhelm and the host of other unique challenges precipitated by our digital tools.
Unesco is calling for a global ban on smart phones in schools, despite many institutions having already invested in infrastructure dependent on two-factor authentication and hybrid learning. As leadership continues to debate what's best for students (with or without input from the students themselves), some youth are taking the decision into their own hands and choosing universities solely on the terms of their technology policies. In a recent opinion piece in The New York Times, University of North Carolina professor Molly Worthen wrote that students are looking for an alternative — even if it requires committing to change.
"Students are hungry for a low-tech, introspective experience — and not just students in the Ivy League," says Dr. Worthen. “Research suggests that underprivileged young people have far fewer opportunities to think for unbroken stretches of time, so they may need even more space in college to develop what social scientists call cognitive endurance."
When we started developing JOMO(campus), our hope was that we could apply what we've learned about the relationship between joy and technology to help students thrive in an increasingly digital world. We were thrilled with the success of our pilot program this spring with Virginia Tech, and are so excited to be partnering with more universities across North America to launch JOMO(campus) programming this fall.
The challenges of school executives, administrators, faculty and students are unique, but their goal is shared: institutions that offer the best possible educational experience. Teaching is giving: the passing on of new discoveries, ancient wisdom, beautiful tools and empowering ideas into the hands of a new generation. Instead of leaving our next generation with problems to solve, we can help them inherit a world that we don't have to apologize for.
By working with JOMO(campus), you can make it happen.
If you'd like to learn more about how JOMO(campus) can design and implement a comprehensive digital wellness program for your institution, fill out the form linked below. Someone will contact you within 24 hours to join you on your journey towards a joyful, connected, and digitally-well campus.
