BLACKSBURG, Va. – With finals week closing in, Virginia Tech students are dealing with the pressure of exams, move-outs and the next stage of their lives. On Thursday, Hokie Wellness gave them a reason to put the phone down and step outside.
The university’s digital well-being team hosted a World Digital Wellness Day event on the Drillfield in Blacksburg, offering students a screen-free way to decompress during one of the most stressful stretches of the academic year.
“Today is World Digital Wellness Day,” said Laurie Fritsch, assistant director of Hokie Wellness. “It’s just really fun to see people leaning into being off their phones today.”
Students say the break is worth it
For many students, the event was a welcome interruption to a cycle of screens — in class, in the library and on their phones.
“I’m always staring at a computer during class, so this is a good way to get outside,” said Alex Le, a sophomore. “Just to de-stress.”
Sophomore Jacob Scott said he makes a point to attend Drillfield events like this one. “It’s a nice chance to relax and figure out how to not be on your phone,” he said.
Junior Hugh Cameron put it plainly: “Events like this are a lot more valuable than time spent on your phone.”
Signs on the Drillfield pushed the message home
Throughout the event, posted signs challenged students to put their devices away. Fritsch said the message is simple but powerful.
“It’s just a great reminder to put your phone away when you want to focus better, put your phone away when you want to lean into having better conversations and having more fun,” she said.
Junior Millaser Spinski said she and a friend stumbled onto the event while taking a study break. “We walked by and saw it and thought it looked fun,” she said. “It seems like a good way to take breaks other than being on your phone.”
For freshman Sam Webster-Main, the advice was straightforward: “Don’t focus on the test — come out and just play some games, hang out.”
Screen fatigue runs deep
Some students said the event came at the right time. Junior Fredric Reese noted that Hokie Wellness consistently offers campus programming during high-stress periods. “It’s really nice to get your mind off things,” he said.
Sophomore Jack Bolton said the pull of his phone — makes unplugging genuinely difficult. “I find myself getting really just sucked into my phone reading about the news,” Bolton said. “It can be difficult by myself to get myself out of that.”
The event is part of a broader digital wellness push at Virginia Tech. Fritsch said resources and events like this one contributed to Virginia Tech being named the first digitally well university in the world in 2023 by the Digital Wellness Institute.