It’s a typical spring Saturday. The sun is shining, and the wind carries my laughter as my friends and I gather outside the Main Branch of the Detroit Public Library.
We arrive with backpacks slung over our shoulders, waving to the library security guards, who have become accustomed to our weekly routine. The impressive rooms of the century-old Renaissance Revival structure are typically quiet on Saturday mornings, so we jokingly shush each other’s giggles as we set up our laptops and browse the stacks for books.
Our phones are, of course, not far away. Mine is in my back pocket, and it vibrates with texts from my mother, reminders about upcoming deadlines, and the occasional direct message on Instagram. I resist the urge to click on the notifications. I know that clicking on one video will turn into two, and before I know it, I’ll be mindlessly scrolling through funny cats and tutorials on braiding hair…