8 minute read
In-Depth
Fast Facts
1
Advertisement
While relatively few people are diagnosed as addicted, most peoples’ social media usage is so high that it has a negative impact.
Social media addiction is associated with multiple psychological problems, such as anxiety, depression, loneliness and ADHD.
“Digital detox” is a good way to treat social media addiction through setting strict rules.
2
3
Washington Post, Psychology Today
Are you addicted?
Do you spend more than three hours a day on social media? No Yes Does your social media activity stop you from being productive? Yes Do you feel like you’re missing out when you don’t check every day? Yes No
No
You are likely addicted. You are likely not addicted.
Scrolling your life away
You are jolted awake by the blaring of your alarm clock. You roll over, grab your phone and turn it off, silencing the cacophony of noise. Instinctively, you start scrolling through Instagram. You HAVE to know what went on from the time you went to bed to the time you were so rudely awakened. If this sounds all too familiar, we have some bad news for you— you might be an addict.
But don’t worry, you are in some good company. “The percentage of teens who check social media multiple times a day has more than doubled from 34 percent in 2012 to 70 percent in 2018,” Common Sense Media, an education organization, found.
Humans are social creatures and we seek out interaction wherever we can get it. We experience FOMO; if we see all our friends on social media without us, we feel separated from the action, while a like on a post gives us a sense of validation. Our brain chemistry also does us in.
“reward system and that dopamine rush. You want to keep going back and check and check to get that rush,” AP Psych teacher Amanda Kaupp said.
How much time do you think you spend on social media every day?
Open up ‘Screen Time’ in settings. How much time do you actually spend?
Caroline Waldman (11)
Expectation Reality
crolling your life away
Athena Vinch & Madalyn Abady
in-depth writers
Amanda Kaupp said.
“It’s been damaging to many people with their anxiety and depression levels because of the constant competition,” Kaupp said. Instead of the genuine connections we can only get with human interaction, we fill a void with comments and likes. Our self esteem also takes a hit as we compare ourselves to each others’ highlights and worry constantly whether we are missing out on something. There are physical effects that come with addiction too, like eye strain or insomnia caused by the blue light emitted by your screen.
So what can we do? The first step is to hold yourself accountable: track the amount of time you spend on social media (this is something you can easily do in your settings) and create limits for yourself. Try turning off notifications to minimize distractions. If you really feel like things have gotten out of control, it might be time to go cold turkey. Consider deleting apps from your phone, even for just a couple days to give yourself a break. You can also try to work on minimizing your screen time. “Setting parameters like with any habit [helps to stay productive], even if you have to put your phone in the dryer—not while [the dryer] is on obviously,” Kaupp said.
It may seem impossible, but just cutting out even a few minutes of social media consumption a day gives you the freedom to do so much more. So the next time you start mindlessly scrolling, remember that there’s a life outside of the selfies, stories and status updates. It’s time to stop scrolling your life away.
It tends to work as a gambling addiction would work, looking at the reward system and that dopamine rush.
“Like 4 hours. “Um, 12 hours a day. Probably like 5 hours.
6 hours, 32 minutes
Isabel Edwards (11)
6 hours
Isabelle Shepard (11)
5 hours, 7 minutes
Expectation Reality Expectation Reality
A look at the Lehde’s Men
Jamie Korenblat & Rhea Patney
features writers
The Lehde’s Men are a student-led male jazz combo here at Ladue High School. They were officially founded in the fall of 2017 and were named after the Ladue high school band director, Aaron Lehde. Now, they have evolved into a prominent music group that plays at many events, such as the jazz concert, the Ladue Education Foundation Alumni Event and the Dad’s Club Trivia Night.
Lehde gives the group advice on occasion, but isn’t really involved past that. He doesn’t coordinate their schedule or choose their music.
“Sometimes, I find out the Lehde’s Men have performed after they perform,” Lehde said. “There have been a couple times where they say, ‘Oh yeah, we played last night,’ and I wouldn’t know.”
The Lehde’s Men do not use sheet music. They simply listen to the song they want to learn and figure out the notes and rhythms for it. This is a process unique to jazz bands called transcription.
“I think [transcription] is good because it is good for ear training,” freshman Jake Hinz said. “It also makes it easier to remember when you learn [the music] step by step yourself.”
The majority of the group members only played solo music in the past. However, joining the Lehde’s Men has opened their eyes to a new musical dynamic they hadn’t experienced before.
“I’ve played the piano, the guitar and the organ, but I had never performed with a group before,” senior Zach Wild said. “We’re almost like a sports team. We have to work together to accomplish a common goal, and jazz music is definitely all about communication.”
Overall, the Lehde’s Men is a way for students who love music to further explore their passion in a group setting. “Being in the Lehde’s Men has made me love [music] even more,” Hinz said. “Being pushed to play my very best has really deepened my passion for [music].”
On Stage: The Lehde’s Men perform at the dad’s club trivia night. The crowd appreciated the live music and enjoyed the performance. “It was really fun to play the event and raise money for the LEF,” Ryan Melnick said. (Photo submitted by Zach Wild)
Meet the Lehde’s Men
Hale Masaki- Bass Alec Hines- Drums Zach Wild- Piano Ryan Melnick- Guitar Gabe DiAntonio- Alto sax Noah Melson- Tenor Sax Nick Whitaker- Fiddle/tenor sax Kian Howe- Bass Jake Hinz- Trumpet Lincoln Grench- Alto Sax
Seniors direct one acts
Daphne Levy & Annie Pan
feature writers
Every year, the seniors direct one acts for the Ladue community to watch. This year seniors Courvaun Hill, Abigail Yearout, Trey Schwartz, Nikol Nikolova and David Steiner have joined together to create a performance of senior directed acts that will be showcased April 24-26.
Previous years, the seniors had been a part of the acting section of the one acts. This year, they strive to make the one acts better than before as they take their place behind the director’s chair.
“Last year [was when I] started to get more involved in the theater world and started to make a lot of friends that were in theater,” Nikolova said. “I thought that I really wanted to stay involved in that and stay a part of that community, and directing a one act was a cool way to kind of ‘go out with a bang’ as a senior.”
Earlier in this semester, the seniors hosted auditions for various parts for their shows. The audition consisted of picking a monologue from one of the shows. Later on during the week, there were callbacks to finalize the cast.
“The audition process is so stressful because everyone is so talented,” Hill said. “It’s so hard to not just take everyone, but it’s also so much fun because you get to see everyone do what they love to do. It kind of gives you a piece of the [actor] and their personality.”
With the show’s deadline approaching, both the actors and seniors strive to give the one-acts their all. The rehearsals are consistent with everyone preparing for the final push.
“A typical day at rehearsal is very chaotically organized,” Hill said. “We always have set plans, but things always go in a different way. It typically consists of just really running the show and making sure everybody can embody their character and display that to the audience. Each cast member has the responsibility of getting their lines down and really trying to connect with their character. My responsibility is trying to help them connect with their character, making sure the story is getting told the right way and making sure everything is going perfectly during the show.”
So as the stage for the senior directed one acts start to get set, the seniors and actors prepare for their upcoming performances.
“I recommend everyone to come; it’ll be fun and you’ll all have a great time,” Hill said.
Final Stretch Senior Courvaun Hill directs oneacts in the band room after school April 9. (photo submitted by Zach Weller)
5 Quick Tips for the Perfect Audition
1
Know what is expected of you.
Read the audition packet to be knowledgeable of character descriptions and information about the shows.
Pick a monologue from the show you like the best. Practice, practice, practice.
Have fun! Try to enjoy the audition experience.
2
