Cornell University will hold its first Cornell Unplugged initiative Sept. 14-20, asking students, faculty and staff to reduce unnecessary screen use and spend more time in face-to-face activities.
The Sustainable Computing Working Group organized the event to encourage more deliberate technology habits while drawing attention to the water, energy and carbon costs associated with digital services, including artificial intelligence.
Participants will be encouraged to put devices away during meals, attend in-person events and spend time outdoors. Faculty members are also being asked to consider technology-free or technology-light classroom activities.
The initiative includes an anonymous Unplugged Pledge that lets participants set a goal for the number of hours they will spend offline. Cornell's event website also lists alternatives to screen time, including programs at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art and daily sunset gatherings on Libe Slope.
Mikael Murphy-Rendon, an environmental engineering student and member of the working group, said he plans to replace his iPad with pen and paper for class notes during the week. He said moving among apps often distracts him from his work.
Steven Jackson, chair of the working group and Cornell's vice provost for academic innovation, said research suggests unrestricted classroom screen use can lower student performance, including for nearby students who are not using the devices themselves.
Organizers said the event is not opposed to technology. Instead, they want campus members to consider when digital tools are useful and when passive use interferes with learning, relationships or other priorities.
Meredith Rutherford, a Cornell sustainability manager, said putting away a phone during a meal can prompt conversation and turn the environmental exercise into a social one.
The week also asks participants to consider the environmental footprint of routine digital activity. Organizers said every online search, message, streamed item and AI interaction relies on computing infrastructure that consumes electricity and water.
Murphy-Rendon said he hopes the shared challenge gives students room to assess their current relationship with technology and establish habits that are healthier and more intentional.
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