I’m 15 years old, part of Gen Z, and part of the first generation to grow up entirely inside the digital world. I’ve lived the highs, the lows, the addiction, the validation loops, the ghosting, the blocking, and the loneliness that comes with it. This is my story — and why I chose real life over my Apple phone.

We think we have more options, but do we really? There are over 8 billion individuals in the world, yet social media reduces us to a comment, a like, and a profile picture — it strips away our individuality and treats us as disposable.

My goal is to make real‑life connection normal again by promoting flip phones and MP3 players, strengthening youth online protections, encouraging teens to confidently approach each other and make friends offline, and creating more teen‑only community spaces where genuine connection can grow.

At 14, I lived online to the point I had a secret phone. I was glued to it — hiding in the bathroom for hours replaying videos of myself on social media. I posted constantly, unaware of the risks. The apps were addicting, and every button felt like validation.

The friends I had in real life were typical Gen Z teens — always online. I couldn’t be myself with them. Our friendship was surface‑level, and when I went through something real, they disappeared. Phones and social media aren’t just distracting us — they’re disconnecting us from our imperfect, human selves.

I was ghosted, blocked, ignored, and I tied all of it to my worth. Even my first romantic connection was online. I met a guy on Snapchat and got pulled into an intense hot‑and‑cold fantasy cycle. It took me a year to step back, break the addiction, and see things clearly.

Now I’m 15, living with a flip phone, an MP3 player, and the courage to approach strangers in public. I’m here to challenge the way technology is shaping us — and to make sure no one else loses themselves the way I almost did.

Meaningful connection is fading as social media rewards popularity and aesthetics. In the past, teens made friends freely in public spaces — now extracurriculars and even basic hangouts cost money, and it feels like friendship has become something you have to pay for.

I’m not staying silent while we drift further from each other. It’s time to choose something different — more presence, more honesty, more real life.

Let’s take a stand together and reconnect.