Only Disconnect

Timothy Cook for The Chronicle Review

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By Andrew Reiner

I've always dreaded the beginning of a new school year. I feel an anxious gravity at the prospect of blank slates—especially at the thought of yet again competing with the formidable allure of social media as I try to engage my college students, to get them to take risks and to sink into the topic at hand.

But this autumn I feel a bit lighter and more sanguine. I'm continuing an experiment with students I tried last spring: I call it a social-media sabbath.

It's no