Open today’s lesson by asking your class the following question:
- Think about your life over the last few months. When was the last time you were truly alone for more than a few minutes? (If your teens are like most young people, it’s been a long time since they were really alone. Sure, there’s time when there’s no one physically with them, but because of smartphones we’re always in contact with others.)
At any given time, you have the ability to reach out to hundreds of different people. You always know what your friends are thinking, and they always know what you’re thinking because you’re posting about it.
Most people would probably say that they use their phones a lot, but understanding exactly how much was, for a long time, pretty difficult to quantify. Certain smartphone software updates in recent years allow you to use built-in tools to track exactly how much time you’re spending on your phone across different apps.
Ask a few volunteers to pull up Screen Time stats on their phone (Settings>Screen Time on iPhones) and share with the group their weekly total usage, number of pickups, and notification counts.
The average teenager in the U.S. spends 7 hours and 22 minutes per day using screens.
- How do your numbers compare with the national averages? Do you wish they were lower, higher, or the same?
According to 2024 Pew Research study, 39 percent of teens report taking intentional breaks from social media, and 36% of teens report taking intentional breaks from their smartphones.
- Is this true in your own life? Do you wonder what life would be like without all of this connection? (Accept all reasonable responses.)
Back in 1989, a man named Mauro Morandi’s boat docked on Budelli Island off the northern coast of Sardinia, Italy. Discovering that the island’s caretaker was retiring within the next two days, Mauro decided to extend his stay indefinitely. He stepped into the role himself. Mauro built a small, simple life for himself on the island, collecting rain for drinking water, and building solar panels for electricity. Living alone, his love for his island paradise ran deep, and he hoped to stay as long as his health allows it.
- What do you think about this kind of lifestyle? What are the pros and cons of a life of isolation? (Allow your students to speculate; there are no right or wrong answers here.)
Sadly, after over 30 years living alone on the island, Morandi was evicted in 2021. “The national park authorities argued that Morandi made changes to the building without the required permits. He moved to a small apartment on the island of La Maddalena, a popular tourist town with around 15,000 permanent residents…
He still enjoys solitude and spends most of his days reading and sitting on his balcony, looking out at the sea. It may not have the peace and quiet of Budelli, but he realises the slightly larger Italian island is still a beautiful little slice of earth and that ‘things in life change… I’ve learnt to adapt. La Maddalena is my new home now, and it’s okay.’”
- If you had to live like this for many years, how do you think the experience would change you? (Students might comment negatively or positively; positive comments might include slowing down and appreciating things they overlook now, a sense of calm or peace, being more thoughtful and finding new interests.)
- What if someone in your life asked/required you to be truly alone whenever you wanted to be with them? Would you do it?
God calls us to set aside time to be completely alone with Him. Let’s explore why that’s important and what that might look like.
