Northern California softball players gave up smartphones for a month. A year later, they say the effects remain

By Brady Halbleib

More than a year after the Del Oro High School girls softball team traded their smartphones for basic flip phones as part of a monthlong mental health challenge, players and parents say the experiment continues to influence how they use technology.

The team took part in the “digital detox” last year after Jennifer Christensen, whose daughter Addy played on the team, challenged the athletes to give up their smartphones for an entire month.

Christensen said she initially wasn’t sure whether the players would agree.

“I did not foresee 100% participation,” she said.

The challenge was designed to encourage the teens to step away from social media and constant smartphone use while focusing on their mental health.

Addy Christensen also participated in a separate experiment during the detox, undergoing brain scans throughout the month.

According to the Christensen family, the scans showed changes during the early stages of the detox that were described as resembling withdrawal. Later scans showed improvements in areas associated with decision-making, impulse control and retention.

Now, more than a year later, Jennifer Christensen said she has noticed what she believes are lasting behavioral changes.

“One thing that I’ve noticed for sure and something that was reported back was regulatory capability,” she said.

She described that as a greater awareness among teens of when and why they reach for their phones, particularly when they are anxious.

“Not always grabbing the phone now, but rather sitting with themselves and processing it,” Christensen said.

For Christensen, the most noticeable changes have gone beyond phone use.

She said she and other parents have noticed some teens appearing more confident, with better posture, stronger eye contact and more fluid speech.

“To come out on the other side in the ways she has is really exciting,” Christensen said of her daughter.

The experience has also turned the mother-daughter duo into advocates for mental health awareness and more intentional technology use.

Jennifer and Addy have since been invited to speak at events, sharing what they learned from the digital detox with other families and communities.

Christensen’s advice to parents considering a similar experiment is straightforward: The transition may be difficult, but she believes the potential benefits are worth it.

“They won’t even look like they did at the beginning of the digital detox and it’s only in positive ways,” she said.