Some Gen Zers (and some Millennials) leave their phones on “Do Not Disturb” mode all day long and go about their daily routines without all those incessant alerts.
When I was a teenager, I couldn’t resist the siren song of AIM or AOL Instant Messenger. I’d hear that “door opening” sound or a message notification and I’d rush to my computer, eager to see if the person logging in was my best friend or my boyfriend, who was equally devoted to AIM at the time. (Naturally, all of our screen names usually included the name of the person we were “dating” at the time—NicksGirl4Eva88 was at the height of romance in middle school in 2001.)
When I got my own phone a short time later, like every teenager I know, I downloaded my favorite songs to use as ringtones. I was as eager as ever to receive messages. (Phone calls? Not that much. It’s true that millennials don’t like phone calls.)
Now that I’m in my 30s and working a full-time job, the excitement is categorically gone. On the contrary, I hate looking at my phone: Group messages reach obscene numbers within minutes, slack notifications from work pile up and disrupt my flow state, and there always seems to be a message or two from a friend I’ve been wanting to reach out to but haven’t yet. I was surprised, then, to learn that some Gen Zers (and some Millennials who are smarter than me) leave their phones in “Do Not Disturb” mode. all day. It’s no longer enough to keep up the vibe, DND 24/7.
TIL Gen Z kids keep their cell phones on Do Not Disturb 24/7 so they never have to face the worry of answering the phone.
— Max Burns (@themaxburns) February 12, 2024
On TikTok, videos tagged “DND” and “DND 24/7” share how teens and 20-somethings feel more peaceful and productive after changing their notification settings.
Making your phone unusable for an entire day is about as close to zen as I can imagine, but it also feels oddly scary. But the perspective of Generation Z is this: they telephone, they If they have to set limits, it’s time and privilege.
“When I’m trying to study for an upcoming test, a new Snapchat notification or Instagram message can cause me to scroll down my social media accounts for several minutes,” said Madeline Kerestman, 21. pre-med student and social media influencer who attends DND most of the day.
If you’re busy studying, a random alert will hinder your progress more than you think. A 2005 study from the University of California at Irvine found that it takes most workers an average of 23 minutes to return to task after an interruption.
But it’s not just the flow of work that Kerestman is trying to preserve when out of touch. Like many on TikTok, Kerestman said using the feature was about “keeping the peace.” Instead of living on the dopamine rush of a new “like” or comment, he’s trying to live more and more in the moment.
“I constantly receive notifications from both TikTok and Instagram informing me of new likes, comments, and followers,” he said. “While I love that aspect of having a platform and being connected to others, it can be really stressful and distracting at times.”
It’s just a bonus that continuing to DND means avoiding all the spam calls and messages the rest of us have been subjected to lately.
On TikTok, Gen Zers attest to how peaceful their lives are because they have enabled the DND setting on their phones.
Going to DND is pretty simple. Android users, swipe down from the Home screen to access Notification Center, then swipe once more to expand the entire panel. Tap Do Not Disturb to turn it on.
If you have an iPhone, go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb. Once there, you can set the times you want your phone to DND and specify a list of contacts to let through while others are silenced.
To enable Do Not Disturb, go to Focus settings on iPhone.
Gen Z clearly has a love-hate relationship with their phones.
24/7 DND is proof that Gen Z feels overwhelmed by technology and wants to be more digitally minimalist in getting things done. In the last few years, some young people have given up on their smartphones and turned to flip phones. On TiKTok, Gen Zers document what it’s like to own a flip phone or share instructions on how to turn an iPhone into a hands-on “dumb phone.”
In 2022, the New York Times profiled the “Luddite Bunch,” a group of New York City teenagers reading books in Prospect Park with a strict “no phones” rule.
“When I got my flip phone, things changed instantly,” one teenager told the Times. “I started using my brain. It made me observe myself as a person. I’m also trying to write a book. Now it’s like 12 pages.”
Chinedu KenechukwuA 24-year-old from Lagos, Nigeria, also experiences anxiety (and fatigue) on the phone.
“I went to DND all day most days last year,” he told HuffPost. “I can be anxious sometimes and the calls on my phone increase that anxiety, so I usually go DND just to keep my peace.”
This function is not on in Kenechukwu these days, but he does not hesitate to turn it on again in times of increased stress. That’s why it’s there.
Lauren Larkin, psychotherapist and founder of Lel Therapy, sees DND as an attempt to course-correct and renegotiate being too Online and hyper-available to Gen Z 24/7. Instagram, BeReal and TikTok don’t always need your attention.
“I could see Gen Z using DND as a tool to set boundaries,” he said. “It helps create a sense of control over relationships that don’t serve them because they are less available or have less access to what others are doing.”
For those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, identifying a specific time per day to DND function and respond can be a real game changer. People with ADHD often have difficulty responding to messages (as well as phone calls and emails) due to symptoms such as forgetfulness, overwhelm, or distractibility. DND gives them a chance to respond only when they are ready.
“I could see Gen Z using DND as a tool to set boundaries,” said psychotherapist Lauren Larkin.
One caveat we should mention: It’s one thing to set your phone to DND when you’re distracted by your notifications or setting limits, but there are also times when DND can be a sign of deeper anxiety.
“If receiving calls or texts causes you to have thoughts that are hard to control, faster heart rate, sweating, shaking, trouble sleeping, nausea, these may be signs of an anxiety disorder,” Larkin said.
If you’re isolating yourself, sleeping all the time (or hardly at all), not enjoying the things you used to enjoy, and generally feeling hopeless. From where You’re turning off your phone to DND, which could be a sign of a depressive disorder.
“It’s all about From where “It’s good to wonder about that, so you can figure out if it’s a coping mechanism for something bigger,” he said.
Older generations may have a hard time keeping up with DND 24/7.
If you’re used to an “always on” culture of urgency, it can be difficult to process DND 24/7. DND users we spoke to said they’ve received some backlash from frustrated friends and family who can’t reach them. Some people find this trend a bit disgusting; online people joke about how satisfying it is “Press ‘notify anyway’ on DND Warrior.”
Older generations may wonder “why does anyone have a phone then?” one might wonder. or you’re worried about what will happen in an emergency.
“My mom is always like, ‘You’re on your phone all the time! Why can’t you respond to a message within five minutes or answer a call immediately?’ Kerestman said:
“I think generations assume that Gen Z and Millennials are glued to their phones,” he said. “While that may be true to some extent, I don’t think it means we have to respond within two seconds or constantly check our social media accounts.”
Emily Cooper, a therapist in Seattle, Washington, is a millennial, a “microgeneration” of people born between 1993 and 1998. (They are too old to be considered Generation Z, but too young to be Generation Y.)
Personally loves the DND feature. He always assumes that if someone really needs to contact him, they will call him back or that he will reach out to them when they reach him. Her mother, a young Boomer, more He has a different relationship with his phone.
“My mom will answer the phone just to say she can’t talk,” Cooper said. “’Then don’t answer your phone then!’ I said. He’s gotten better at it, but he still asks me, ‘Can I call you back?’ “He’ll keep texting one of those canned responses,” Cooper said with a laugh.
Older generations may ask “why do you have a phone then?” one might wonder. or you may be worried about not being available in case of an emergency.
The therapist wonders whether some of the difference between generations can be attributed to the fact that phone calls and catching someone on the phone were rarer back then.
“For that generation, it was almost like a delicacy,” he said. “You had to be home at the right time, you had to be able to afford long distance, whereas for me it’s always available so I don’t put much value on that.”
“I prefer to answer quick questions or check-ins via text at my convenience, and if it’s something more serious, I’d rather do it in person rather than on a phone call,” he said. “Plus, there aren’t that many people looking for me anymore.”
Preferences may vary depending on generational differences, but Cooper thinks: everyone It may be beneficial to prioritize phone-free time: Research has shown that notifications from phones actually release cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, and put our brains on “high alert.” Our nervous systems really need time to recover from those pings and vibrations we get all day long.
“Also, I don’t think anyone should have access to us 24/7, and expecting that is a little… unrealistic,” Cooper said. “People have lives: kids, school, work, family, friends.”
Cooper thinks parents and kids are the only ones who need 24-hour access, but even then you can adjust the DND settings to ensure those calls are forwarded.
“I think it’s a good middle ground,” he said. “Overall, in my experience, it’s been really nice to feel in control and be able to ‘participate’ in social media and text conversations rather than feeling like it’s all being forced on me.”
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