As Arts desk editors, being chronically online is essentially a requirement for the job. We spend hours keeping up with pop culture, which often looks like sitting alone in our rooms binging seasons of television or scrolling TikTok to see what’s trending. Our unhealthy online habits aren’t unique to us, so we’ve curated a list of screen-free activities to save our generation at-large from becoming unfeeling, disconnected zombies.
Host your own paint and pour
Whenever my screentime is too high — which is embarrassingly often — I revisit my childhood passion for drawing and painting. The second I turned 21, I had my eyes on the $50 Paint ‘N Pour experience because it combines two of my weaknesses: open bars and art. But if you’re looking to save a little money, a do-it-yourself version would be just as fun. Just pick up some cheap canvases and art supplies from Michaels, share a bottle of wine with your friends and stumble through a Bob Ross painting tutorial. Things might get competitive if one of your pals is a secret Michelangelo, but that’s what the wine is for!
— Dani Biondi, Arts Editor
Start a journal
When I was a child, I used to write elaborate fairy tales in a little notebook that I carried with me everywhere. This past summer, in an attempt to reduce my phone addiction and return to my roots, I bought a journal and have used it almost every day since. What I write depends on the day. Sometimes it’s pages upon pages to work through my thoughts, other times it’s simply a few sentences describing where I went. If I’m really at a loss for words, I’ll just doodle. There’s no right way to journal, as long as you keep it a steady practice. Take it from me: Stop info-dumping on your Instagram story and pour that passion onto the page. It’ll do wonders for your sanity.
— Skylar Boilard, Arts Editor
Go for a swim
For the first ten years of my life, I spent my Tuesday and Thursday afternoons swimming. I might be biased — my mom is a swim instructor and I’ve worked as a lifeguard for the past three summers — but swimming truly is the greatest workout imaginable. It exercises every single part of your body, and it’s no wonder aquatic therapy is one of the leading ways physical therapists help their patients recover from injuries. Whenever I feel stressed or overwhelmed, I find that the repetition of strokes and invigorating exercise of swimming calms me down, while leaving me with a post-exercise high. So this spring, take a break from your screens, check out the Paulson Center pool or Palladium Athletic Facility natatorium and go for a swim.
— Leo Field, Film & TV Editor
Learn a new instrument
I’m of the strong belief that any talent can be built from the ground up, regardless of your familiarity. That being said, I wholeheartedly recommend picking up an instrument as a new hobby. Though it may seem daunting, there are countless free resources to familiarize yourself with basic chords and elementary music theory. Throughout this school year, I’ve rented a cheap acoustic guitar and played it nearly every day as a way to de-stress, even though I had very limited prior knowledge of the instrument. Since then, I’ve learned how to perform some of my favorite songs, and my dorm even feels slightly cooler with a guitar leaning lazily against the wall. Several music stores around the city offer student-discount rentals, so why wait to become musically literate? Pick up an instrument and learn a new party trick or discover your true calling as the mysterious indie band member we all aspire to be.
— Amelia Knust, Music Editor
Visit Burnett Fountain
My first suggestion would be to get frozen yogurt with your friends. And if that doesn’t work, then hang out with a beautifully intricate sculpture at the center of Burnett Fountain. Tucked away in the Central Park Conservatory Garden’s English section, the sun-drenched fountain is the ultimate getaway. It’s far from your problems, quiet enough for your thoughts and, best of all, you’ll be accompanied by sculptor Bessie Potter Vonnoh’s bronze figures of a flute-playing boy and a girl with a birdbath. The statue honors Frances Hodgson Burnett, the author of “The Secret Garden,” offering the perfect blend of literary nostalgia and sensory peace. There are plenty of benches where you can sit, avoid the mess you’re going through and long for a simpler time. If your friends are finally tired of hearing about your love life, give this place a visit. Don’t worry — you can talk for hours on end and the statue still won’t leave.
— Rhea Kohli, Fine Arts Editor
Go roller skating
If you weren’t able to ice skate this winter, or if the idea of going full speed on a slippery surface with knives attached to your feet isn’t exactly your idea of a good time, you should try out roller skating as a groovier alternative. Feel the breeze in your hair and sun on your skin while gliding at one of the several New York City parks that offer admission and skate rentals for as little as $5 at their rinks: Pier 2 at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Prospect Park’s LeFrak Center and Riverbank State Park in Harlem. Roller skating has a long cultural history in the city, with Brooklyn being credited as the birthplace of roller disco and the sport playing a role in the Civil Rights Movement. Several historic skating groups still roll around the city, and most rinks offer classes for beginners.
— Chantal Mann, Performing Arts Editor
Contact the Arts desk at [email protected].