The Midway is committed to representing a wide range of perspectives and viewpoints, including from students not on the Midway staff. Our Maroon Voices series will feature guest columnists on a wide range of issues. 

My most poignant childhood memories include crafting beaded necklaces with my mom, solving puzzles with my dad and playing a wide range of imaginary games with my little sister. As I entered middle school, then high school, I lost a great deal of the routines that had defined my early years. Between my parents’ business travel and our extracurriculars, our schedules became scattered. On particularly busy weeks, I felt that I would be communicating with my parents exclusively through text for days on end.

Since coming back from winter break, I’ve been trying to make spending time with family a priority, even though it requires me to be more productive during the school day and in the afternoon.

While it may feel difficult to carve out time for family amid hectic high school schedules, these are the people who shape our lives and support our futures. Instead of brushing off family members as merely people who share our homes, we should lean into quality family time as an invaluable opportunity to unwind and recharge.

According to a 2023 Gallup poll, the average teenager in the United States spends 4.8 hours on social media per day, leaving little time for other activities, like spending time with family. Between homework, extracurriculars, and the constant fight for nine hours of sleep, family time can often be the easiest thing to give.

Regardless of age or political ideology, Americans consistently rank strong family relationships as far more important than other values, including religion and career success, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center study. As a society, we are well aware of the impact of our family on our lifestyles and well-being, yet the U.S. Census Bureau’s National Survey of Children’s Health reports only one-third of adolescents aged 12-17 eat with their families daily.

Scheduling dedicated time for family can feel impossible, but there are numerous benefits. Bonding with parents and siblings over dinner, a TV show or a walk around the block can help relieve stress by fostering an open and welcoming atmosphere, according to the American Heart Association. Parents in particular are also an irreplaceable resource, helping high school students navigate everything from social pressures to college admissions.  

As teenagers, we should invest time and energy into the relationships that we want to be maintaining for the rest of our lives. Our priorities are reflected in where we dedicate our limited hours, and family should be at the top of the list.