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Join James Petrossi in 'Leave the Feed: 30 Days of Disconnect' as he interviews creators and mental health advocates about their journeys, the digital quagmire, and tips to create a healthier relationship with social media.
[00:00:00]
James Petrossi: Hello and welcome to Leave the Feed, 30 Days of Disconnect. Today is day nine to be a human and what a human I have with me today. Beau Shugarts, welcome to the show.
Beau Shugarts: Thank you, James. Thanks for having me on today.
James Petrossi: Let's start with your story, and I know I'm gonna ask a lot inside of these questions, but curious about your trajectory in football as it relates to storytelling and your passion for disconnection.
Beau Shugarts: Yeah, I'm a, I'm a division one college football player while simultaneously working on a television project in collaboration with 1895 films called 30 days Offline. And so, you know, I come from a football family, always been, you know, part of the grid iron, right. That led me playing [00:01:00] college football and just graduated from Bryant University. Just finished my undergrad a couple days ago, but within my time there, I really like while playing football, I really found an identity as a student in the classroom through a few, you know interesting assignments that led me into just being more confident as a student, reaching out and, and, just participate in things I haven't before. So I signed up to go study abroad with a class called The Art of Storytelling that led to us going to the 64th Monte Carlo Television Festival in Monaco. I competed in the tell me a story pitch contest, and I won it. And so with that, you know, I got to work with and still am, I'm working with 1895 films and their CEO Tom Jennings. We've gotten to the point where we've developed a sizzle reel and. Yeah, getting ready to it out there.
James Petrossi: That's incredible. Now, when it comes to disconnection and communication, what was it inside of that educational [00:02:00] journey where, you know, I know that you come from a football family and. You go to school and you're there with a purpose, right? And that purpose is football, but it's also education. Then at what point inside of education did that spark get lit as it relates to disconnection?
I.
Beau Shugarts: Well, communication is a major, I think it just like, I think I just found my, my groove like that. I think that's just what I was meant to. You know, study as a student. I've enjoyed other subjects before, but like, that's just, you know, it was the first time I kind of really had a focus on that and I just, I just loved it. and what sparked the whole, you know, offline journey was was taking an interpersonal communications class and our professor, she gave us the ultimatum. It's like, look, you can either do a, a. Book report, or you can do a five day phone fast. You won't believe how many people voluntarily did a book report rather than just not being on their phone for five days, [00:03:00] which was over the weekend, right?
When you're just hanging out with people or sleeping in. I did that five day phone fast my sophomore year of college, and it just changed my perspective. I mean, the things that like. It maybe not changed my profe perspective so much, but it really confirmed some beliefs I had, some wonders I had about, you know, how life should be or could be, you know, things of all that sort.
So it just, you know, it made me just, you know, move differently going forward. And that led to going into my senior year, I signed up for that, that trip abroad. .
James Petrossi: So talk about your relationship with social media prior to that five day disconnection journey that you went on. What was it like growing up? What was it like as a football player and. How do you feel like it impacted your mental health? You know, looking back on those earlier experiences,
Beau Shugarts: I will cover the football piece first. You know, football wise with social media and [00:04:00] football. You know, the only thing I really, that's so football focus is like my Twitter. 'cause that's like the main hub for,
James Petrossi: I.
Beau Shugarts: College football recruiting. You put your film out there and just coaches start, you know, seeing it in their feed, the way the algorithm works. when it relates to football, I mean, that's kind of really it. as a, as a just a regular old person a football being involved in who I am as a person you know, it's, it's. had and bad. But the thing is, is that there's this term I've used called Digital Native. I'm 23, so like, you know, most people my age, like at the earliest, I think I was one of the earliest people in my age, you get Instagram, like I got in fourth grade. Which, you know, just playing around with my friends or whatever, but you know, there's, there's a lot of good things about it, but , I'm really curious to see what life is like without that, you know, and not just as an individual, you know, 'cause like, you know, we can all just log off, right?
We do have that option to just opt out, but [00:05:00] how's it gonna affect, and, you know. Bring the people that are still online into that perspective, that, that bubble, , you know, that connection.
James Petrossi: Let's talk about the perspective shift, because like you, like you mentioned, a lot of people grow up, especially in your generation and. Phones are all around them. They want what their parent has. There's a tablet in hand and they don't really grow up or humans don't grow up right now with true, authentic living a a lot of times they do in certain places.
When you got to college, then you had this disconnection journey for five days. What was the perspective shifts that happened to you and what inside of the human experience. Started to open up that like illuminated you into like now a couple years later pursuing, creating this film.
Beau Shugarts: First thing that comes to mind is the curiosity and the trust. So [00:06:00] one, okay. I told all my friends, 'cause like, like I said, I played football, right? I had morning workouts to go to, but my alarm clock is my phone.
James Petrossi: I.
Beau Shugarts: And also if something, you know, changes last minute you know, for any reason something gets canceled, you know, I need my phone to be notified they do it.
You know, just, you know, 'cause it's so convenient, they can do it any minute, you know, it's not that, not that well planned ahead. So, days leading up to it, I had to prepare people, Hey, I'm gonna be going five days without a phone this weekend, blah, blah, blah. Can you, you know. I kind of rely on you as like, you know, backups plans if I need to, you know, use you right?
For waking me up or whatever. So on day one, say, you know, I didn't have a clock, I didn't have a wristwatch. You know, if I really wanted to, I would have to open up my laptop to do anything, you know, I just wasn't gonna go that far. Instead, I would go and just ask my roommates and if no, none of them went home, like. Go across the hall to the other dorm and just barge in like, yo, like, what time is it? so that was the first thing I [00:07:00] noticed. Like a lot of people were like, you know, they, oh, it's 10 15. And they go, did you just come in here to ask me the time? I'm like, yeah, I'm sorry. You know, remember I don't have a phone.
You know, they're all frustrated, like, I'm annoying them. And they're like, oh, oh, okay. All right. And then they're just like, all right, like whatever. That's just, you know. Beau just, you know, doing Beau stuff, I guess. then like, you know, as I said, I'm barging into their bubble, you know, kind of like, you know, interrupting their flow of things. Well, you know, now I'm getting more immersed in it, say on day three, I now find, you know, my own little, you know, homeostasis, whatever, you know, find my own things to do to just hang out. She'll out, enjoy the weekend. I'm noticing like. People coming to me and not just like one at a time. Like usually like it would be like groups of two or three and they just like walk into my room and they're like, Hey, what are you doing? And I'm like, oh, like, you know, just, you know. Reading a book or whatever. I don't know, I don't think I was reading a book to be honest, but just hanging out, you know, like, and they're like, what are
James Petrossi: Yeah. Yeah.
Beau Shugarts: up to? And they're like, dude we [00:08:00] just remembered you don't have a phone. We were wondering what you're up to.
You know, like I had more people coming to talk to me in person than I had reaching out over text. What I think that's all about is because they knew like, Hey, if we want him, we gotta go get him. And so, you know, it really, you know refined and like put a lot more depth to basic relationships, you know, 'cause we got our best friends and we got our friends and we got our acquaintances and our peers, right? But I mean, no matter who it was, what level of relationship that was them showing up, reaching out, whatever it was really. F trust into it. Because here's the thing, like I was in the cafeteria with one of my buddies and it was just like, you want, you know, you wanna hang out later? Yeah, sure. Pull up at this time or But I was like, wait, no, like you have to come at this time because if you're late, you know, I'm just gonna be wondering if you don't, you know. He can't call me to tell me you're here, whatever. Like, you know, we gotta meet at this time. And so whenever I'm sitting in a [00:09:00] chair at the, you know, the common area of college, whatever, you know, and I see, you know, so and so walk in on time. It's like, Hey, there he is. But like that curiosity that I was talking about, you know, you're so more curious and there's more, you know, you just don't know until you see it happen. But when you see them walk up, it's like. There's my friend, you know, on time here. You know, we're about to do this together.
Whatever is we're about to do, hang out, get food, talk for five minutes. We're doing it together.
James Petrossi: It's awesome. Yeah, it's so interesting 'cause a lot of the times we hear people say if it's not on social media, it didn't happen. And the opposite to that I would ask you is like. When you're not on social media, what does happen? And you brought up that connection points with other people and how that grew and manifested in ways that you never would've imagined.
I'm curious for the times that you were alone in moments, whether you're eating a [00:10:00] meal, whether you're reading, studying, whatever you're doing, how did your experience as an individual transform in those moments, you know of. Not solitude, but you know, just those in-between moments of life when you might normally be looking at the feed or scrolling or checking the news.
Beau Shugarts: Although I may have not quite literally been by myself, you know, there's that feeling of being alone. Not too much in a bad way, but like, say when I was with friends and like everyone's looking down and I'm looking up. You know, there's those things like that to where you do feel like you're in your own, world.
Sometimes that is, if you're with people that are very connected to the, you know, to the internet still. but, you know, it's a little hard to answer that question because I feel that, you know, I had the safety net of. College, social life. I mean, it's you know, Bryant University [00:11:00] is, everyone lives on campus.
Everything's within a five minute walk. If you got some pep in your steps. So, say if I did have that, that urge to like, reach for a phone, I kind of went to reach for a person. and because of it all being like a, a new thing. That is with like, you know, going offline and, not that many people were, it wasn't that much of a trend, right?
Two years ago.
James Petrossi: Yeah.
Beau Shugarts: and so I had people interested in reaching out. So there weren't that many times where, you know, I felt alone. And that's possibly because anytime I was talking with a person, dealing with a person, well, wasn't alone. When you text someone, you're alone. You're, you're with your phone, you know, you're not with that person.
You know, your brain kind of does a few things to kind of compensate for the, the void of them being there, although you are talking to them on the phone, but you're alone. So like anytime I was with someone in some way, I was literally with [00:12:00] them.
James Petrossi: That's incredible. And then what was the experience like when you got your phone back? How did things change?
Beau Shugarts: My professor gave me like 20 minutes in class to just do whatever I wanna do while she carried on and everyone else had to take notes and pay attention. you know, it was kind of just like, you know, more, more self-awareness to whenever I was, you know, doing the doom scrolling and, and you know, kind of just like, you know, you, you talk about, you know, having more intention with how you use the technology. You know, that's where I realized like, all right, am I using this as a tool or a toy? Am I using my phone or is it using me? And that grew as it went on. I mean, whenever I first got it back, like, you know, it wasn't as much like. You know, I didn't feel it immediately, but it kind of came more as I started reminiscing on the memories I made within five days. You know, 'cause it really, it really, in a very good way. It, it disrupted my life and it, and it, [00:13:00] it just changed something. It was so exciting. It was such an experience, but it was my normal day-to-day life.
It was everything I was already doing the phone, just without. so. Like I said, whenever I first started doing it, these are things that like made me think about childhood in reality, it's just the last time I didn't have a phone. So now that I kind of got back, you know, into using the social media and things like that, and this is before I even started working with 30 days Offline and all that, it was like, you know, like, damn, like I kinda wanna do that again. And so why don't I, I have the power to do that. And that's, you know, that's kinda what social media does to some people. Kind of, you know, hold you back from what you wanna do because it's that, that like coping mechanism with reality. If you get a little tired or whatever, just pull the phone out, kill some time till you have to pick your head up, you know? So I actually wanna delete my Instagram, like for before 2026 just [00:14:00] to, you know. Because I don't use it, you know, it uses me,
James Petrossi: So let's talk about what led up to the trip to Monte Carlo. How did this trip unfold? And then at what point did you have this idea for 30 days Offline?
Beau Shugarts: Leading up to the trip, I was literally just on my couch reading an email I got that was sent out to all communication majors. The title of the class was intriguing. I read the, you know, the about section, you know, and then the trip worked out with football. So I just, you know, I just signed up to kind of like, you know, reserve my spot
I returned to school, about a month later or so, and I went into the abroad office and I just asked 'em, 'cause I never got an email back. And I go, Hey, like, what's the update with this thing? I saw an email about it, you know, and responded, but I never heard anything back. And they're like, oh, wow, that's awesome.
You're here. You're the only person who signed up. And I'm like, what? Like a trip to a film festival in Monaco. Like I'm sure even if no one cared about. Any bit of the assignments, [00:15:00] they would just kind of sign up to go and like, hey, like no one did. So I was kind of like, just out, like, you know, trying to like talk to people about it, you know, bring more people in.
And they recruited some more people. They had like, about a group of nine, like I said, they needed, they were claiming they needed 10 to make it happen. And then you know, some people fell out. We got back to three and then it was like, it was literally just like three or four students, like on Zoom once a week., Our professor, she did Dr. McComb, she did a great job with like, you know building us up into developing, you know, our stories. Like I said, there was four of us in there. Each of us had our own individual. You know, story to tell two of us were actually football players as well.
So, you know, we kind of had to get, you know, that that confidence in ourselves, you know? 'cause it's like, look, we're gonna be going be competing against film majors from all around the world. You know, like, is this like, obviously, you know, we can sit around and, you know, talk about with each other. You know, we're friends, it's all gonna sound, [00:16:00] you know, great to us.
But on an international stage, when you're competing with people who've really studied this. You know, it was a little nerve wracking. So, but we weren't thinking about that yet 'cause we were just in class at Bryant and, you know, doing our assignments and so that's where we, that's what I took it as. and so just through the brainstorming process, 30 days Offline came about as I was kind of reflecting on that five day phone fast and my whole personal philosophy behind things. And so, yeah, just like put it together. We applied to the film festival, like having to apply was a requirement with the class. Whether you made it or not, that's up to the festival. luckily all, all of us made us finalists to go and pitch it at the contest. And so that just led up to, you know, a little bit of shopping to make sure my wardrobe was ready to be in Monaco and, and then flying out there and, and really not until we flew out there, was it [00:17:00] like, you know, like, alright, like we're actually doing this thing. Like, I don't know, I've never been to a film festival before. I never, you know, it was, it was my first time going to Europe too.
So, yeah. You know, it was, it was a whole bunch of first but like I said, and what's ironic is, is that I didn't have an international phone service plan. So once I was over there, unless I was in the hotel room, I was offline, man. So it was great. You know, I was really just like, it just, you know, it really, like, like with day nine talks about, you know, your, your, the superpowers, you know, to be a human. The superpowers we have like. Dude, I, I respond to an email and I just went offline and this is where my decisions and my interests led me, whether it be super glamorous or not. It led me to where, somewhere where I was very proud and happy to be and excited to be and just filled with life.
So, you know, like that's all, that's all I really wanted. It happened to be there while doing this, and so that's just amazing.
James Petrossi: Such amazing synchronicity in that story about how it [00:18:00] was giving me goosebumps as you've been saying it. It's really, really cool. So the pitch itself, were you in front of like a, what type of audience was it and what was the pitch like?
Beau Shugarts: There was four judges one of them being Tom Jennings. He's the CEO of 18 9 5 films, me and Peabody award-winning filmmaker. and then there was also three other judges as well. And then in the crowd was just like, you know, just a couple like, media outlets and journalists, you know, like writing and stuff.
And then you know, there was a couple like. Just executives from like production companies, like from around the world. Like I met this one guy from Norway, I believe. And things like that. It was a business, it's the part of the business panel content sessions. So a lot of the people that were in there were you know, not really like any of the, you know, the actors and things like that, but a lot of people that just like, you know, do the behind the scenes of the business side of, Big productions with TV and film. [00:19:00] And so, you know, besides like, you know, those four judges, it's like, okay, like, you know everyone in this room is, you know, I would listen to their advice, their opinions that they have to say about everything. Like it's very, like everyone in there has, you know, a valuable opinion based off what I was doing, I could learn from every single one of them. That's the type of environment it was. it wasn't overly crowded. I'd say it was probably about like maybe 30 people or so. But you know, the way we did it is that there was there was seven total finalists in the pitch contest.
So we did four of us, and then we did like a one hour break where they had a business panel session, and then they did the last three of them. And then they, they announced the, the winners, they had all seven of us on stage. And they actually had, they made up a runner up spot, a runner up award on the spot because of the other young ladies that were there, oh my gosh, like everybody that was there, like seriously, I'm sitting there. Watching them present and I go, you know [00:20:00] what, every single one of them, you know, when you log on to like something like Netflix and it shows like top 10 features, you know, in the
James Petrossi: Mm-hmm.
Beau Shugarts: I'm like, every single one of these, like, I can see this being up there. And so, and it's just amazing, like, you know, 'cause they're all different too.
It was just, it's just, you know, storytelling is such an innate part of humanity and so seeing it all come together. On an international stage, you know, it just really shows you like, you know, we're all like, you know, the same, you know, how similar we can all be in our own ways. And, and there's, there's, there's some humor to that.
Oh, and then also, like, you know, we were on stage. We all each had five minutes. Max to do it. Some people they already had filmed, you know kind of what it would be about. The whole, the whole pitch contest was about nonfiction, like documentary docu type stuff.
So, you know, some people they already had some film to show and edited together. Others, you know, like me, I was kind of more so pitching the overall concept of it.
Like I took it as if I was like presenting it [00:21:00] in my, or from my classmates, back at Bryant.
'cause reality, like that was the, that was the final assignment, you know?
James Petrossi: But it shows the power of the idea and the concept and how relevant it is, and you know, for someone pitching that idea that's lived and breathed that idea, although for five days it doesn't make a difference if someone disconnects for one day, five days, 10 days, their whole life. It's the experience, it's the human experience that comes from it.
You can present ideas and concepts when you've lived it and you embody it, it, it must have really come through. So I'm, I'm so happy for you now. Right now there's people that are on their own journey, right? Today's day nine, and everyone might be feeling something different. Some people might be taking this very seriously where it's like, you know, all 30 days.
I'm going through each step and I'm, I'm following it to the T. Others might just be logging in because they want more tips, advice, stories [00:22:00] about the results . What advice or encouragement would you have for anyone that's struggling with their digital dependence and maybe has lost sight of their humanity and why they should connect back to it?
Beau Shugarts: You know, that why is kind of really within everybody, you have the answers. Everyone has the answers. You know, social media, you know, a big study about it is like, you know, oh, everyone's comparing themselves to each other and, you know, we have insecurities 'cause we're constantly checking ourselves, you know, the thing is, is like. Sometimes like, you know, you check in with someone else, like, yo, what do you think about this? Just to make sure you're not crazy or whatever. But other than that, like we have, you know, the, the answers with that us, you know, everyone thinks that there's certain way that we're all supposed to do things.
No, you do it your way, like and your way is the way that you do it, you know, and that's what is the beauty, you know, we are all artists in what we do as a human, within the human experience, and so. [00:23:00] I feel that like once I had that five day phone fast and you know, some other things, it's like, you know, we've lost the art and what we do as humans.
It's just with how we have to convey, you know, we can't send emojis. We have to actually show that expression on our face and things of that sort. So, why you do it is, you know, ask yourself and continue to ask yourself until you are happy with what you know the answer is. 'cause it's, it's really just peeling back the onion with things.
And, you know, to start, you just gotta start somewhere. You know, it doesn't take this huge preparation. I think some people are nervous about like losing pictures and videos 'cause that's like our memories, you know, your brain's not, you know, our brains aren't designed to remember everything. Maybe the iCloud is, you know, 'cause it stores, but know, back it up and log off.
Like seriously. I think that's the main thing that a lot of people are scared of. It was just like losing our memories. [00:24:00] you know, snap to pick, log off, done.
James Petrossi: I love what you said about, you know, getting back to the art of the human experience.
Any other parting words of wisdom on the power of disconnection?
Beau Shugarts: Immersed, step into it. It'll be a trip. It'll be fun, and do it your way. I think that's like, you know, the one thing, like, look, you're not gonna have all these resources to be checking in, you know, answering your insecurities and stuff, but it's all good. Like, you're taking the initiative, you're leading yourself, you're gonna own your body.
You know, your words and your mind are gonna connect. There's not gonna be as much of a delay in things. and you know, you're the conductor. You're the conductor. It's all good. Just trust. Take a breath. It's all good. It's what you're meant to be.
James Petrossi: I love it. I love it. It is what we're meant to be, that natural, authentic, human experience. [00:25:00] Thank you so much, Beau. You've been such an amazing guest and I'm so excited for your project and to hear more about it.
Beau Shugarts: Thank you for having me on, James. I'm really excited about your project as well.
James Petrossi: And for those of you listening, please sure leave the feed with a friend. Don't be afraid to disconnect and have an epic day. Thank you.