Why Our Relationship with Technology Needs a Revolution

By Larissa May

Ten years ago, when I started this journey, we were worried about Instagram filters warping our sense of self. Now? We’re grappling with deepfakes that can clone our voices and replicate our entire beings. The dopamine hits we once got from notifications? They’re nothing compared to the immersive AI experiences being designed in Silicon Valley’s labs. History isn’t just repeating itself – it’s evolving at record speed.

The average American teen spends 7-8 hours daily on screens – that amounts to nearly 30 years of their life. The core of what humans are seeking through tools like technology has always been connection, validation, and belonging. Much of the advancement in AI and social media is really about our fundamental human desires finding new digital expressions.

But here’s what gives me hope: just as we learned to navigate the world of filters and curated feeds, we can learn to thrive in this new AI landscape. The solution isn’t to fear technology or try to outrun it — it’s to develop the wisdom to use it mindfully and the strength to maintain our humanity in the face of artificial intelligence.

The digital wellness revolution needs to evolve too. It’s no longer enough to talk about screen time and social media breaks. We need to prepare ourselves and our young people for a world where AI is as common as smartphones are today, building practices that help us maintain our authentic selves in an increasingly artificial world.

At #HalfTheStory, we believe transformation happens through empowerment, not fear. Instead of telling teens what not to do, we inspire them to reimagine their relationship with technology on their own terms. We’ve learned that lasting change comes when young people discover their own path to digital wellness, creating boundaries that feel authentic to them rather than following rules imposed from above. This is why we focus on building agency, fostering creativity, and celebrating small wins that lead to bigger transformations. When teens feel empowered to shape their digital lives, they naturally gravitate toward choices that enhance rather than diminish their human experience.

For 2025, our teens are taking control with powerful, actionable commitments:

“I pledge to read as many books as the hours I spend on my phone each day,” shares one teen. Another commits to “taking 10 minutes daily to write down 3 things that went right, focusing on the positive instead of endless scrolling.”

Their resolutions reflect a deep understanding of digital wellbeing:

• “No more phone first thing in the morning – my day starts with me, not my screen”
• “TikTok gets one hour max – no more doomscrolling”
• “DND mode when I’m with family and friends – real connections come first”
• “Creating content instead of just consuming it”
• “Screen-free weekends to disconnect and recharge”

What’s powerful about these resolutions is that they come from the teens themselves – they’re not rules imposed by adults, but conscious choices made by young people who understand the importance of digital wellness. They’re choosing to limit their screen time, set boundaries, and use technology in ways that enhance rather than diminish their human experience.

This is our moment to write a new chapter in the story of human-technology interaction. The question isn’t whether history will repeat itself — it’s whether we’ll be prepared to write a better story this time around. What will your digital wellness revolution look like in 2025?

In January, I visited the Designmuseum Denmark in Copenhagen and stumbled upon an exhibit called “Bottled Ponderings.” It’s an old-style cabinet filled with over 300 tiny “medicine” vials, each labeled with something that affects our well-being—everything from passion and relationships to narcissism and loneliness. This quirky display reminded me that tackling well-being involves looking at the whole person rather than applying quick fixes. If we focus on just one issue or emotion, we risk overlooking the richness and complexity of the human experience.

 

This is exactly what came to mind as I thought about Valentine’s Day—a day that can mean love, kindness, and romance for some, but loneliness, loss, and longing for others, and yet passes like any other day for many. Like the exhibit’s vials, Valentine’s Day highlights how diverse (and sometimes contradictory) our feelings can be. The Gambrell Foundation’s work is grounded in recognizing and embracing this complexity. Along with our partners in the US and Europe, we ask big questions about what it means to live a “Great Life”—questions that inevitably touch on belonging, relationships, awe, and wonder, even during the sometimes “cringeworthy” holidays.

 

Ultimately, that’s our hope: to create environments where everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances, can find purpose and feel their contributions matter. Because if we celebrate all the facets of human well-being—from the bittersweet to the joyful—we’re one step closer to building communities that genuinely support each other through every high life has to offer and every low it can throw at us.

 

 

 

With Love,

By Sally Gambrell Bridgford

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Over the past few weeks, I, like many of you, have been inundated with news updates and alerts that have had me more attached to my phone than I would like. I can only imagine what the digital world must feel like for the young people in our lives right now. In recognizing the broader issue of our healthy (or unhealthy) digital habits and how they may limit our ability to live a Great Life, I want to introduce Larissa May, founder and CEO of #HalfTheStory, who is leading a digital revolution for our young people and creating an online ecosystem that works better for us all.

As we all look to find more opportunities for connection and supporting all of our mental health and well-being, The Gambrell Foundation’s work with #HalfTheStory will support creating new standards for all of our digital engagement. I spoke with Larissa about her work with #HalfTheStory and how she sees the future of digital wellness.

 

1. Can you tell me more about what inspired you to start #HalfTheStory?

Ten years ago, sitting in my Vanderbilt University dorm room, I hit rock bottom — caught in the grip of an addiction that plunged me into the darkest period of my life. Desperate for answers, I dragged myself to the Campus Psych Center. The doctor went through the standard checklist: alcohol, romantic partners, and drugs. But not once did they ask about the real drug — the one sitting in my pocket. My phone.

That night, everything clicked. I realized I wasn’t alone — I was just one of millions of young people silently struggling with the crushing weight of technology. I knew I had to transform my pain into purpose. I had my lightbulb moment: social media is only #HalfTheStory.

During my senior year, what started as a simple art project exploded into something bigger: a nationwide movement that spread across college campuses. This became #HalfTheStory, a non-profit dedicated to helping teens build healthier relationships with social media and technology.

 

2. How does your work help young people overcome challenges with their relationship to social media?

As the first youth-led non-profit of its kind, #HalfTheStory focuses on progressing education and advocacy work surrounding social media and tech use. Through its evidence-based education program, Social Media U, students in rural and urban communities across the U.S., U.K., and Canada are taught the skills needed to have a healthy relationship with their screens and are empowered to understand and advocate for their digital health. In 2024, #HalfTheStory announced a new national education partnership with Girls Inc. to support girls in underserved communities across the country.

 

3. What does digital wellness look like for you and the young people in the #HalfTheStory network?

Digital wellness means using technology in a way that supports emotional health and positive digital habits. This means teaching kids emotional resilience skills to thrive in the digital age.

I’ve learned that digital wellness is an inside job. In other words, what is going on inside our heads often impacts our tech habits, and our tech habits do the same to our emotions. Digital wellness is wellness, and like every other form of wellness like physical, emotional, or sleep, the only constant is change! We are always evolving.

 

4. What’s it like working directly with young people to champion solutions for our digital world?

Essential! I always say that teen work makes the dream work. #HalfTheStory teens are critical to our business and our success. They inform the work we do, from helping design the education programs we put into place, to coming up with marketing campaigns, to running our socials and writing our substack.

Part of the reason #HalfTheStory’s educational programming is so effective is because we always make sure there is a teen in the room where decisions are being made about them. In practice, our impact comes to life through teen-powered programs that create real change.

Our Screen-Free campaigns are completely youth-led and owned. Teens design and run their own digital wellness challenges in their schools and communities. They’re not just following a script — they’re creating innovative ways to help their peers build healthier relationships with technology.

#HalfTheStory’s Youth Civics Academy takes our mission to the next level. We empower young leaders to engage with policymakers and tech companies directly. Our teen advocates have testified before state legislatures, contributed to digital safety bills, and participated in roundtables with major social media platforms. They’re not just talking about change — they’re actively shaping the future of tech policy.

 

5. What does it mean to you to Live Greatly?

My friends refer to me as “livinlikelarz.” I like to think I live each day like it’s my last — to live with a heart wide open, shoot for the stars, let dreams come true and break free! I’ve always lived with purpose at the center, which makes it easy to never feel like I’m “working!”