Lockscreens reveal sentiments of each user

A screen lights up in a crowded hallway between class periods, stays on for two seconds and goes black again. It happens multiple times a day. While social media feeds are made for everyone to scroll through, a lockscreen is one of the few places on a phone chosen only for the person holding it. 

For some, that space is used to hold onto a specific moment. For Samuel Ohaka, a senior, his lockscreen is a picture from when he won Homecoming King. “I put it there as an achievement to remind me,” Ohaka said. High school years go by quickly, and keeping that photo right on his lockscreen is like a personal achievement to remind him of that night whenever he checks the time. 

Other students pick photos of their family, or personal growth. Stella Schmitz, a senior, chose a picture from a baseball trip she took with her sisters in Chicago. The photo stands out to her not just as a good memory from a game, but because of how she felt during the trip. “It was one of the first times I felt like an adult,” Schmitz said. 

Then there are pictures tied to everyday connections. For Isabel Eugenio, a junior, the background on her phone is a simple gesture. Her lockscreen is a picture of flowers her boyfriend gave her, turning a small, thoughtful moment into a permanent memory. “He gave me flowers, so I took a picture and put it there,” Eugenio said. 

Not every lockscreen carries a deep backstory, though. Sometimes it’s just about what someone likes looking at. Indre Jankunas, a senior, keeps a picture of a bunny on her screen mainly because she likes bunnies. “I put a picture of a bunny because I like bunnies,” Jankunas said. Similarly, Ma’kyah Redd, a junior, chose a plain pastel color simply because she said “I find it cute.” Proving that the image doesn’t need to be complicated to serve its purpose. 

Between class schedules, group chats and lots of notifications, a phone screen is usually pretty busy. But underneath all of that is just one picture. Whether it’s a milestone, a trip with family, a gift from someone close or just a favorite animal, a lockscreen gives people a quiet reset every time they pick up their phone.