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?