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The College of Charleston is hosting its bi-annual Unplug Week Sept. 28 through Oct. 3., a campus-wide digital wellness initiative designed to give students, faculty and staff intentional opportunities to step away from their screens and reconnect with the people, activities and physical world around them.
Unplug Week will incorporate tech-free and tech-light classes, outdoor and hands-on activities, meditation, cooking classes, game nights, improv and other analog programming across campus. Faculty and staff are also encouraged to hold device-free meetings throughout the week.
“Unplugging isn’t about pretending technology doesn’t have a place in our lives,” said Kelley Cours Anderson, a College of Charleston marketing professor and creator of Unplug Week. “It’s about being more intentional about when we use technology and when we choose not to. We want to give our campus community opportunities to experience what happens when we create space for conversation, creativity, movement and connection without a screen.”
Anderson, who also serves as an advisor for the Global Day of Unplugging, said the lessons from that research extend beyond social media professionals to the broader challenge of establishing boundaries in a culture where being constantly connected has become the norm.
Unplug Week will also bring the conversation about technology and attention to the big screen on Thursday, Oct. 8, when Boston-based filmmaker Sara Robin will visit the College to screen her new documentary, Your Attention Please, followed by a conversation and Q&A with students and attendees. The documentary examines the growing pushback against the attention economy and explores the effects of social media and technology on childhood, mental health and human connection. The screening is co-sponsored by the College’s Civility Initiative and is free and open to the public.
The College’s Unplug Week initiative is part of a broader effort to make digital wellness an ongoing part of campus life rather than a one-time conversation. By encouraging faculty, staff and students to experiment with tech-free and tech-light experiences, the College aims to explore practical ways to build greater intentionality around technology while maintaining the benefits it provides.
For the complete schedule, visit the Unplug Week website.
Founded in 1770, the College of Charleston’s mission is to provide students with a world-class education in the arts and sciences, business and technology, engineering and health sciences. Students have more than 150 majors and minors from which to choose — and they often choose to combine several—and complement their academic courses with overseas study, undergraduate research and internships for a truly customized education.
Nearly 12,000 students choose the college for its unique urban, mid-sized university feel. The College, home to undergraduates from across the country and around the globe, provides a creative and intellectually stimulating environment where students are challenged and guided by a committed and caring faculty of distinguished teacher-scholars. The city of Charleston serves as a living and learning laboratory for student experiences and opportunities for career development. The university bridges the old with the new in a setting that is truly extraordinary — where historic character and forward-looking innovation come together to shape a distinctive and inspiring environment for learning. A College of Charleston education focuses on discovery and personal growth, as well as preparation for life, work, and service to our society.
Photo Credit: College of Charleston
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