I Deleted Google Classroom: It Changed My Life

In the age of technology, it can sometimes feel like everything revolves around the screen. Whether it be through watching nonsensical Instagram reels for hours on end or texting your friends incoherent memes at two in the morning, we are addicted. You may think you’re immune, but the unseen hand of societal pressure is tight around your neck, forcing you into conformity. No matter what you do, you just can’t escape its influence. That’s why I’ve taken the first step in curing myself: just a mere two months ago, I deleted Google Classroom and it changed my life for the better.

When I still had Google Classroom on my phone, I was inundated with messages at every hour of the day, each day of the school year. From new homework assignments to surprise test announcements every waking minute, the constant barrage of notifications blighted me like miasma. The FOMO was so strong that I felt like if I didn’t follow up on every little beep from that app, I would be giving my grades up and letting all my teachers down. I felt like Atlas, with the mountainous pressure of the sky thrust upon me.

Now, the weight has been lifted, and I am free. I walk the halls proud that I am not bound to that small, evil-unleashing, Pandora’s box of a device inside my pocket. I used to helplessly shudder at Damocles’ sword above me as I lay restless every night, barely scraping by as I sacrificed my sleep and health to tick up my grades, but that is no longer my fate. I feel pain for my fellow students that are still hopelessly fettered by all the assignments due tonight. Their eyes are poorly cobbled together with caffeine, anxiety, and cortisol—all of which I’ve already left behind. As I hear their cries about failed tests and repetitive homework, I honestly feel guilty about my privileged lack of dependency on a little number on my screen.

Social media and the internet have become such a core part of our identities that deleting just one app (like Google Classroom) can cause extreme and irrational reactions. For example, just the other day, my friend and I spent fifth period in the library. However, instead of studying like we agreed to, she was on her phone, scrolling Google Classroom. Suddenly, her face began to turn bright pink. She sunk in her chair and completely masked her face with her hands. I could not peer past her entwined fingers, but I did see a single tear roll past. Like the good friend I am, I put on a brave expression and, while watching her from the corner of my eye, explained to her how badly phones damage our mental health. As she was muttering something about failing a project, I began to see tears streaming through her fingers. I pointed out how this was likely a bodily reaction trying to keep her eyes hydrated from her constant staring at screens, but she very ignorantly fled. I’ve truly never seen someone so affected by the evils of technology.

This is but one reason why I am so invested in relaying my message. As a part of my enlightenment, I spread awareness about the wickedness of electronics. I smile every time I post on my anti-Google Classroom Instagram and see all the commenters that I have converted to my beautiful sect. However, while I may love using The Spectator as a platform to educate the Stuyvesant population on the toxicity deeply ingrained in our chronically online culture, I hope it is not just I who learns from this story. I hope you are encouraged to take a more active stance. Apps like Google Classroom are still a very real issue we all must face. 

Thus, I encourage you too to make your best efforts in limiting the influence the internet has on yourself. I’d recommend against going cold turkey. Your helpless body might reject your new, improved lifestyle and commence withdrawal symptoms. Start small—try to limit the number of assignments you complete or block those notifications. Remember to mutter daily affirmations into your mirror, such as “my whole life doesn’t have to be dedicated to grades.” I implore you to educate your still-naïve friends and promote smarter, more refined usage of your time on the internet. If necessary, don’t be afraid to hack into their phones to set app limits on (or even fully delete) Google Classroom. I wish you the best on your Google Classroom-free journey.