>> OMAHA’S NEWS LEADER. CHRONIINGCL THE STORIES THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS KETV NEWSWATCH 7’S "CHRONICLE." >> HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SCROLLING THROUGH THEIR PHONES, AND NOT MAKING EYE CONTACT ANDAV HING A HUMAN EXPERIEN?CE >> IT’S A DISTRACTION, A LOTF O TIMES. I FEEL LIKE I'M GOING TO MSIS OUT ON A LOT. >> IT’S DEFINITELY SOMETHING TH HATELPS ME PROCRASTINATE ON MY HOMEWK.OR JULIE: THE PRESSURE TO SY CONNECTED TO OUR CELL PHONES. GOOD MORNING. I'M JULIE CORNELL. THINK ABOUT THIS -- THE AVERAGE TEENAGER SNDPES MORE THAN 10 HOURS ON SCREEN TIME EVERY DAY. AND THE EXPERTS SAY MORE THAN TWO HOURS A DAY ON YOUR PHONE CAN SERIOUSLY IMPACT MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALT A NATIONAL STUDY OF 11O 17-YEAR-OLDS FOUND 64% SAY THEY ALWAYS KEEP A PHONE NEAR OIN THE BED AT NIGHT. 49% SAID THEY FELT THEY HAD TO REPLY RIGHT AWAY IF A FRIEND SENT A TEXT. IT WAS EVEN HIGHER IF THE XT CAME FROM A FAMILY MEMBER, AT 83%. AND BEING SO CONNECTED CAN PUT YOUR CHILD AT RISK FOR THINGS LIKE BULLYING, OR WORSE. ABOUT 9.5% OF 11 TO 17-YEAR-OLDS SAY THEY’VE RECEIVED UNWANTED O UNSOLICITED NUDE PICTURES. 39% HAVE BEEN BOTHER BED INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS, COMPLIMENTS, PICTURES, OR REQUESTS FOR PICTURE IF IT GETS TOO OUT OF HAND, UYO MIGHT ASK YOUR FAMILY TO TAKE A BREAK FROM SOCIAL MEA.DI BUT IS IT THAT EASY TO JUST TURN IT OFF? WE TRIED A LITTLE EXPERIMENT. KETV NEWSWATCH 7 ASKED A GROUP OF GIRLS TO PUT THEIR PHONES DOWN AND KICK SOCIAL MEDIA FOR A WEEK. TAKE A LOOK AT HOW IT NTWE THEY BOND ON THE SOCCER FIEL IT’S THE OMAHA UNITED OH-4 SOCCER TEAM. OF F THE FIELD, THESE ATHLETES UNITE WITH THEIR PHONES, AND SCROLL AWAY. THEIR DAILY AVERAGE SCREEN TIME? NAYERA: CLOSE TO FIVE HOS.UR ZOE: DAILY AVERAGE IS CLOSE TO 3 HOURS, 40 MINUTES. CHA: IT’S ABOUT 8 HOURS A WEEK >> THAT’S NOT D. CHA: A DAY, I MEAN. [LAUGHTER] THAT SOUNDS PRETTY BAD, NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT. JUE:LI THEIR COACH, JEN GILLESPIE, IS WATCHING THEIR TELEPHONE TIME TRENDING .UP SHE WANTS SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR THEM. >> JUST PUT THESE THINGS DNOW AND CONNECT. JUE:LI SHE VOLUNTEERED HER TEAM TO TAKE PART IN OUR CHALE.LE KETV NEWSWATCH 7 ASKED THEM TO BOOT THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA APPS FOR A WEEK >> SO T'L’S TALK ABOUT THE RULES. WE’RE GOING TO GIVE UP INSTAGRAM, SNAPCHAT, TWITTER, AND TIKTOK. JULIE: THEY HAVE AN ASSIST FROM AMIE KONWINSKI THROUGH HER NONPROFIT, THE SMART GEN SOETCI AMIE: HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EV BEEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA? TIKTOK, INSTAGRAM, SNAPCHAT, DISCORD? JUE:LI AMIE IS A COMPURTE ENGINEER AND MOTHER OF FIVE GIRLS. AMIE: BECAUSE I’VE SEEN THE EFFECTS ON MY OWN CHILDREN AND MY CHILDREN’S FRIENDS. JULIE: SHE TRAVELS THE COUNTRY, SHOWING PEOPLE HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY SAFELY WITHOUT LETTING IT CONSUME YOU. AMIE: WE’VE HAD A DIRT CORRELATION BETWEEN SCREEN TIME, SOCIAL MEDIA, SMARPHT ONES IN OUR POCKETS, AND THE DECLINE OF MENTAL HEALTH. JUE:LI AND WHILE THESE GIRLS CRAVE THE FRIEND CONNECTIONS AND BEING A PART OF SOMETHING, IT’S CLEAR THEY FEEL THE BUENRD OF LIVING A VIRTUALIF L >> I FEEL LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA IS A CHORE FOR ALL OFS. U AT LEAST ONCE, TWICE, THREE TIMES A MONTH, I’M LIKE, I REALLY WANT TO GIVE UP SOCIAL MEDIA. IT’S SUCH A CHORE. JULIE: SOME SEE IT AS AN ENDLESS OBLIGATION. >> I ALMOST FEEL GUILTY WHEN I DON’T POST. JULIE: THEY SAY THE DISTRACTING NOTIFICATIONS ARE NOST.N- >> I CANNOT LEAVE PEOPLE UNDELIVERED. IT’S AN ICK OF MINE. I CAN’T HAVE NOTIFICATIONS OMYN SCRE. JULIE: THERE’S FEAR OF MISSING OUT, WITH NO IDEA HOW TO BREAK AWAY. AMIE: WE GIVE THEM PERMISSION TO PAUSE. OUR PURPOSE IS TGEO T THEM TO CRITICALLY THINK, “WHY AM I USING THIS? AM I USING IT CABEUSE I’M BORED? AM I USING IT BECAUSE I ACTUALLY WANT TO CONNECT AUTHENTICAYLL WITH OTHER PEOPLE?” JEN: I TNKHI IT’S HUGELY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THE MESSAGE OUT THE.ER AND THAT YOU DO THIS BECAUSE YOU CAN ACTUALLY FEEL BETTER. JULIE: THERE’S A COUNSELOR AVAILABLE IF THEY NEEDT. I THEY CAN USE THEIR PHONE TO CALL OR TEXT. THE GIRLS KEEP US UPDATED THROUGH VIDEO JOURNALS. ON THE FIRST DAY WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA, THEY FIGHT HABITS. KATELYN: I’VE TRIED TO PICK UP MY PHONE A FEW TIMES, LOOKING TO SCROLL THROUGH INSTAGRAM BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO KEEP MY MIND BUSY. JULIE: THE GIRLS PLAN WAYS TO FILL THEIR DOWNTIME. NAYERA: IT’S PRETTY BIG, BUT I'’ ALREADY A LITTLE WAYS THROUGH IT SO HOPEFULLY I’LL BE ABLEO T FINISH IT. JULIE: AMIE REMINDS PEOPLE BEING BORED HAS BENEFI.TS AMIE: THAT’S WHEN WE COME UP WITH ALL OUR INGENUITY AND BIG THOUGHT IDEAS. THEY UNPLUG AND THEY SIT AND THINK, AND WE’VE TAKEN THAT AWAY FROM OUR CHILDREN. SO THE FACT THAT THEY CAN JTUS HAVE TIME WHERE THEY JUST DON’ TDO ANYTHING FOR 30 SECONDS FEEL LIKE FIVE HOURS. JULIE: FRIENDS QUESTION THR ABSENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. KATEL:OT L OF THEM ARE ASKING WHY I’M NOT ON MY PHONE. AM I IN TROUBLE? I’M LIKE, NO, I’M JUST DOING A LITTLE EXPERIMENT. JULIE: THAT EXPERIMENTEEPS K THEM MOVING. JADA: AND NOW I’M PUTTING AWAY LAL THE DISHES AND PUTTING AWAY MY SISTERS STUFF. -- SISTER’S STUFF. I DON’T EVER DO THAT, BECAUSE IT TAKES TOO MUCH TIME. ZOE: AT ATHLETIC TRAININ WE PLAYED VOLLEYBALL INSTEADF O WAITING FOR FOOTBALL PRACTICE TO DEN BY SCROLLING THROUGH TIKTOK OR SOMETHI.NG JUE:LI BY DAY 2, SOME HAVE AN UPTICK IN PRODUCTIVITY KATEL: DID A LOT OF HOMEWORK. I GOT AHEAD IN MY CLASSES. I FINISHED WHAT I NEEDED TO DO. AND I ENDED UP BAKING A CAKE FOR THE FIRST TIME BY MYSELF. JUE:LI BY DAY 5, THE GIRLS FEEL MORE FREE AND IN CONTROL OF THEIR TIME. NAYERA: WHAT I LIKE MOST SO FAR IS THAT I DON’HAT VE THE FEELING OF WASTI TE.NG SO NOT HAVING THAT KIND OF FEELS LIKE A WEIGHT LIFTED OFMYF SHOULDERS A LITTLE BIT, SO IT’S REALLY NICE. JULIE: NOT SCROLLING GIVES THEM TIME TO CREATE. JADA: IT WAS A WAY TO BE PRODUCTIVE WHOITUT GOING ON MY PHONE. IT WAS A LOT OF FUN. JULIE: TIME TO PLAY, AND JUST BE PREST.EN >> I’M REALLY PROUD OF MYSELF. I’M DOING SO GOOD. JUE:LI SO WAS IT A SUCCESS FOR EVERYONE? WHAT WERE THE BENEFITS OF UNPLUGGING, AND WHAT DOES THE TEAM RECOMMEND? COMING UP NEXT. PLUS, THE SMART GESON CIETY JOINS US WITH NEW DATA SINCE OUR EXPERIMENT. Y’U'RE WATCHING KETV NEWSWATCH 7’S "CHRON