https://hackmd.io/wpbvFEuSQ8qBEYotIxlQQg
In a world that is so heavily concerned about how you look online, how many followers you have, and how many likes you gather, it becomes hard to separate yourself from the “social media blackhole”. I have recently reduced my scrolling time a lot, however as a “wanna-be” influencer I am always concerned about how many likes I am getting. Even when I try to take a step back, there is still this constant pull to check how my content is performing, which makes it difficult to fully disconnect.
This idea connects directly to Morrison and Gomez’s article, where they detail how being online has evolved into an always present necessity, rather than a choice to engage. I related to the quote from the article, “‘I clearly am addicted and the dependency is sickening…people have become unable to shed their media skin.’” This shows that social media is something that has become a part of normal life. I related to this a lot, as when locking in on work, I sometimes find myself fighting the urge to turn on a device and scroll. Unfortunately, I am not the only person who struggles with this, as the article states “most people” are in the same situation, reinforcing that it is not my own weak mind, rather the strength in which the digital environment has grown to.
The second article about “Luddite teens” adds an interesting layer to this idea, because it shows that even people who grew up fully surrounded by social media are starting to push back. These Luddite teens have withdrawn themselves from the apps, choosing to limit their presence online. This conflicts with the popular belief that younger generations are all obsessed with their devices, showing that there are people of a younger age who are able to reconnect with the world around them. While I still find myself semi-obsessed with my videos’ engagement and overall performance, it is interesting to see that there are people my age who don’t concern themselves at all with social media. These article work together to highlight an issue in today’s digital world and how some are coming together to fight the problem that is social media. If younger generations are becoming more aware of social media’s negative effects, why does the pressure to seek validation through likes and followers still feel so strong?
https://hackmd.io/@OwAnd/SkAaMUmoZe
Luddites, whether or not they went by that name, have existed as long as radically new inventions have worked. People like sticking to the way things have been, and it’s not always for a bad reason. The group for which the term is named was concerned that in addition to reduction in their own pay, that machinery in textile mills would lead to reduced quality. Now, though, people are pushing back against something new: our phones. We don’t often celebrate our phones for their abilities that a millennium ago would have been considered magic. That being said, though, their magic comes at substantial costs. While Morrison and Gomez’s study is quite dated in a digital & social landscape that has significantly since changed, the motivations and behaviors they list still ring true. While nowadays taking control and addiction would likely far surpass all other motivations to step back from our phones, all five reasons are still entirely valid.
To fix such issues, the fight has only grown more futile in the past 12 years. While the Luddite teens try their best, it is truly a difficult thing to dive heard-first into. Text messaging is often not even done over cellular any more; many opt for the features found on Instagram, Snapchat, or numerous other social media platforms, and texting is synonymous with WhatsApp in much of the world. Since most people are stuck with their phones, adaptation is certainly still the most attempted pushback behavior, but it is far from the most effective. Many of us struggle to simply just put our phones down, and entire apps and products have been produced with the sole purpose of self-limiting access to our own devices. All in all, much has changed in the past decade, but people wanting to escape the iron grip of the magic metal block in their pocket has gone nowhere.
I tried everything I could to get access to the first article, but nothing worked. Thankfully, the study had a lot of good information, and I based my response around it. Hopefully this isn’t a problem.
Link to response: Reading Response Set 2 - HackMD
Markdown:
I have pretty extensive personal experience with pushback; in fact, I started a movement at my high school that led to a few people getting a “dumb” flip phone! I fully relate to the 43% of teens who express a need to disconnect (First Monday). I suspect that number is actually significantly higher now than when this data was collected in 2011. Algorithms have gotten scarily good since those days. I keep social media apps deleted from my phone, but when I download Instagram every once in a while to check my messages, I often find myself in a trance for 3 hours laughing at reels.
I didn’t get my first device until middle school. Although children are naturally happier due to less responsibility and fewer life experiences, I noticed that when I got my first phone in 7th grade and subsequently started spending 6-8+ hours on it every day, my life started going downhill quickly. My happiness dipped, I started performing worse in school, I had a harder time making friends when it came easily before, the list goes on. This checks 3 of the 5 criteria for pushback motivations as listed by First Monday: Emotional dissatisfaction, Taking back control, and addiction.
Unfortunately, this didn’t matter to me back then. I would distract myself from these problems by losing myself in a game or an entertaining video. The problems only worsened going into high school. I finally realized how harmful my habits with technology were at the end of my high school journey. Since my senior year, I have actively battled my addiction using pushback. I got a flip phone and transferred my data plan to render my smartphone practically useless without Wi-Fi. I encouraged my peers to do the same, and instead of the expected response of people thinking I’m a weirdo, I had a lot of people express a similar dissatisfaction with technology’s impact on their lives. I implemented 3 of the 5 pushback behaviors: Behavior adaptation, by deleting or limiting the most addictive apps; social agreement, by setting goals with a friend; and tech control, by buying a “dumb” flip phone (First Monday). These methods have brought me a long way in staving off my cravings for technology, but the battle continues.
Hi Dr Reagle,
Here are my reading responses for set 2. Let me know if you have any questions. https://hackmd.io/nEctHqJTQfO4KrdCMZVdCA
Best, Ryan
Link: https://hackmd.io/@brookeelliott/SJKH3V99Ze
Markdown: ## Apr 17 Fri - Pushback
While many would assume that constant connectivity would make life easier, it frequently feels like the opposite. Morrison and Gomez’s (2014) concept of “evertime” articulates this, describing a culture where being always available is expected. This condition then creates pressure, information overload, and blurred boundaries between personal and social life. In their article, Pushback: Expressions of resistance to the “evertime” of constant online connectivity, Morrison and Gomez identify five motivations that drive people to “push back” against constant connectivity: emotional dissatisfaction, external values, taking back control, addiction, and privacy concerns. Most of these motivations are emotional rather than financial or technical.
Reading this article made me think back to an evening in high school when I was studying for a test while drama in my friend group unfolded over text. As my phone kept ringing, it became harder to focus, and I found myself in a state of continuous partial attention. Eventually, I put my phone on Do Not Disturb so I could concentrate, which Morrison and Gomez describe as an attempt to take back control over time and attention. However, this ultimately backfired because people assumed I was ignoring them, which only escalated the conflict. This experience shows how difficult it is to step away from “evertime”, especially when social expectations make constant availability feel mandatory. Even though it was difficult to step away, I knew it was the right choice for me. And I’m grateful that this article made me think of that experience because it reinforced my goal of being more intentional about avoiding “Evertime” and focusing on setting boundaries around when and how I am available.
https://hackmd.io/@CroqDeeAR_KcC3PgFGl2Wg/rkTJg5no-l
When Logan Lane recounted standing by the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn and deciding her iPhone belonged with the trash floating in the water, she was enacting one of Morrison and Gomez’s motivation for pushback behavior. Logan’s acted in a way to take back control from the “evertime” of constant online connectivity. Morrison and Gomez’s article discuss why users revolt and sorts them along a spectrum from changing small personal habits to full disconnection. Valukul’s article on the Luddite club showed how Lane and her peers have swapped their smartphones to flip phones, gathered in parks to read, and have begun to spread their messages to nearby colleges.
Something that Morrison and Gomez missed was how pushback became performative and communal rather than private. Their categorization defined pushback as actions that individuals would take. But the Luddite club flips that notion around and showed rejecting technology can lead to subgroups forming. Which leads me to question if pushback as a collective strengthens it, or does it reintroduce the same dynamic of ‘in groups’ that drove people off social media to begin with.
Hello Professor Reagle,
I hope you’re doing well. Below is a link to my second reading response set for the year.
Again, thank you for everything and I look forward to seeing you in class tomorrow.
Best,
AK
Reading Response Set #2
Homepage: https://hackmd.io/@KisbelMz/SJEbKJVHZl Reading Response: https://hackmd.io/@KisbelMz/H1tuSP1jbx Markdown: ## Pushback Future generations are fighting back against the exhausting expectation of constant availability, and choosing to pull back from the digital space. Pushback is where users are resisting the relentless connectivity of technology to regain control over their lives. Researchers identified 5 primary motivations for this resistance, which were “emotional dissatisfaction, external values, taking control, addiction, and privacy” (Morrison and Gomez, 2014). These motivations manifest through varied behaviors ranging from simple behavioral changes to extreme “Back to the Woods” where they go “completely offline, or at least [adopt] severely limited Internet usage” (Morrison and Gomez, 2014). This was driven by the awareness that the overwhelming expectation of always being connected through communication technology leads to “feelings of saturation, overload and disenfranchisement” (Morrison and Gomez, 2014).
An example of young adults who are pushing back is “The Luddite Club”, formed by a group of Brooklyn teenagers, which provides insight on the long term viability of pushing back as the members transition to adulthood. In this example, the teenagers traded their smart phones for flip phones, and continue to maintain their low tech habits as they move into the high pressure environment of college. While college has evolved their relationship with technology, since some members now use minimalist devices to navigate their academics, their main philosophy remains the same. They still view the current digital experience as “polluted”, with one explaining that a smartphone screen is filled with “just garbage, like the canal” (McCulloch and Cornish, 2019). This metaphor perfectly captures how the sensory and mental pollution caused by digital overstimulation parallels the polluted waterway in Brooklyn. This reinforces their stance against the abuse of technology, and the manipulation and consequences caused by hyper targeted advertising and constant connectivity.
Best, Kisbel M.P. Candidate for BS in Business Administration and Communications Concentrating in International Business and Management D’Amore-McKim School of Business Northeastern University, Class of 2028 Boston, MA
Reading responses: https://hackmd.io/@lsabelmyers/rJAvhI1ibe Home Page: https://hackmd.io/@lsabelmyers/H1qzjhMBZx
Markdown:
I wish there were a statistic on students who attended a school with a phone ban vs. a school without that restriction, and their phone usage. From what I have noticed, as someone who went to private school with no phone, I have noticed that, especially during class, some students cannot seem to live without checking their phones. Morrison and Gomez mention this in their article and argue that people who have constant internet access are always online. This idea has then led to another idea called “pushback,” where these people will limit their phone or app usage altogether. I find this concept interesting because I have seen it in some friends, but I wonder what the age range is of people becoming more aware of their phone usage, and when they choose to limit their usage.
Vadkul’s article follows a group of teens in college who are following the idea of “pushback,” where they intentionally limit their usage of all technology. I personally can relate to this because other than doing schoolwork, I find myself with my friends and rarely touching my phone, as I incredibly enjoy living in the moment. These students switched to flip phones and met in person rather than talking online to create meaningful connections. This article not only mentions the advantages of this lifestyle but also the hardships it brings to these students. College requires phones to be accessible for day-to-day lives, such as QR codes and technology, such as Canva, which limits removing internet access fully. I enjoyed these articles and felt connected to them more than others I have read in this class. I thoroughly enjoy not being on my phone a lot and would much rather see people in person to form more personal connections.
Dear Professor, Below is the link to my second set of reading responses.
https://hackmd.io/@O867s2ktTymrCldcIaVYBw/ryFbJZpFbe
Thank you, Shritha
Good evening, Professor!
Attached are the link to my reading responses and markdown for tomorrow’s class. I have also included a screenshot of my completed Trace Evaluation.
Best, Vickie Tilley [https://res.public.onecdn.static.microsoft/assets/fluentui-resources/1.1.0/app-min/assets/item-types/24_2x/photo.png]Screenshot 2026-04-16 at 10.23.41 PM.pnghttps://northeastern-my.sharepoint.com/:i:/g/personal/tilley_v_northeastern_edu/IQAsW_QGGVgmR4QL7i2AzuTSAaUH_iaakbAS36v6vsAAKyk?xsdata=MDV8MDJ8Si5SZWFnbGVAbm9ydGhlYXN0ZXJuLmVkdXwxMzliODY4YjE5MjM0YjM5YjdhMDA4ZGU5YzJkZGQ4OXxhOGVlYzI4MWFhYTM0ZGFlYWM5YjlhMzk4YjkyMTVlN3wwfDB8NjM5MTE5OTE3OTU0NTg4OTM5fFVua25vd258VFdGcGJHWnNiM2Q4ZXlKRmJYQjBlVTFoY0draU9uUnlkV1VzSWxZaU9pSXdMakF1TURBd01DSXNJbEFpT2lKWGFXNHpNaUlzSWtGT0lqb2lUV0ZwYkNJc0lsZFVJam95ZlE9PXwwfHx8&sdata=T0JETUYvbUtRUUpRZTNUMnBhKzJJdWs4R0l4Mkkwdms2RXYxeHpmbnl0bz0%3d https://hackmd.io/@soymilk00usa/HyhjZb4H-e
The phrase “I’m not like other girls” takes on its final boss challenge when facing the notion that advanced technology is detrimental to society. This ideology doesn’t come from being against technological advancement, but it stems from being overwhelmed by the sheer amount of advances made every day. Morrison and Gomez’ academic article (2014) frames this as “pushback” against constant connectivity. People are expected to be available and online all the time, which can make individuals feel drained, used, manipulated, and sometimes scared. Much like how in class we discuss the fears we have about AI taking over the world, it’s normal for individuals to feel the same about technology as a whole. Technology doesn’t present as something harmful, but rather its intensity and prevalence in our modern day lives appear intimidating. Vadukul (2025) discusses the motives and recent updates on the Luddite group, showing how the group has evolved since it was first introduced.
With the popularization of flip phones, they’ve inspired many to revert back to the ways of the 2000s, where technology was meant to be futuristic, fruitiger-aero, and fun. Or at least that’s how I think of flip phones. However, one of the group’s members struck me, saying, “I own this [Android] now with a sense of inner torture,” Ms. Watling said, “but I have to look out for my well-being as a young woman. It’s too risky for me to put my life in the hands of a flip phone”. This reflects what Morrison and Gomez’ research suggests: most online users cannot fully reject technology, but they can create boundaries to control themselves and their usage. Does this mean even those who utilize their passion for social movement suffer from temptation? The article later shows how feelings of missing out from other digital applications, such as dating apps, which are obviously not included in any premium flip phone application. Ms Lane even says that one day she wants to be unreachable. By trying to solve the problem of having 1 phone by having 2, it raises the question of what is actually being fixed. In the end, both the research and the article suggest that resistance isn’t always clear and that pushing back has its limits.
