Dissatisfied with social media and its effect on teen mental health, English teacher Brent Bockelman, alongside two student co-founders, juniors Aubrey Dyke and Fatima Sias Vazquez, wanted to leave behind doomscrolling for something more fulfilling.
“When we started to see a rise in teen suicide and a decline in teens hanging out… it all coincides with 2009, the advent of social media,” Bockelman said. “Yes, technology is great, but what is life like without it?”
After reading about the Luddite club, a club formed by students in Brooklyn, Bockelman was intrigued.
“The goal (of the Luddite club) is just to get people to come together socially and disconnect for a little while,” Bockelman said.
Inspired by the impact the club has had on schools around the country, Bockelman saw its potential at Southport. He then decided that he would sponsor the club for the 2025-26 school year.
To gauge the level of student interest, Bockelman mentioned the club to one of his sophomore classes, which piqued the attention of a couple students.
Those students, Dyke and Sias, were particularly curious about what an unplugged environment would look like.
“I want (SHS students) to understand that we can have a life outside of social media, and we can socialize without technology,” Sias said. “(We’re) not trying to cut it off completely, but just letting them know that we can live without it.”
Students joining the Luddite club will be given the opportunity to discover new interests in a pre-internet way, which could be writing poetry or playing instruments.
Bockelman also hopes the club will be able to raise money to take field trips and give students opportunities that they wouldn’t otherwise have.
Some students have mentioned wanting to go to museums, play paintball and visit parks with the Luddite Club. Sias says that affordability is being kept in mind so that more people will be able to attend these trips.
“I’m hoping it’s going to be a place that a lot of people enjoy coming and feel comfortable and confident when they’re here,” Bockelman said. “We’re open and welcoming to everyone, no matter what.”
