Like many adults, I blinked and now I’m hurdling toward 40 with two kids, a blind dog and a mortgage. And yet (AND YET!), when asked if I’d be interested in leading a jewelry-making workshop for 50 teens, I thought, “Of course! These are my people!” I wouldn’t say I’m young at heart, but I do think I left a big chunk of my brain on a red tray in my high school cafeteria. But then the warnings from my (actual) peers came rolling in. “Are you ready to be pranked on a TikTok livestream by a 16-year-old with an alpaca haircut?” “Can you use ‘rizz’ in a sentence?” “Good luck getting them to look up from their phones!” The reality sunk in. My teenage years equaled prank phone calls, Nokia Snake and killing time in the candy aisle at Walgreens. Did Gen Z teenagers have the capacity to interface with life outside their screens? I prepared for the worst. But after two hours with 50 14 to 18 year olds, I’ve changed my perspective.
From the get-go, the kids rushed the room ready to get their hands on all the beads I’d set up. I thought they’d be uninterested in a tactile activity, but they were LIVING for it, not a phone in sight. Upon entering the room, I anticipated the usual scene: heads down, thumbs scrolling. Instead, they were engaged, holding lively discussions, and palpably present. Their phones? Tucked away, almost forgotten.
Curious, I broached the topic of social media. The table of students looked perplexed. “What do you mean?” They asked. “Well, what do you make of social media? I know it’s a big issue for parents about how much their kids are online.” I expected responses like, “My parents don’t know I’m on social media,” or “You have to be on social media to have any friends.” But instead, they talked about it with a calm neutrality. They weren’t defensive or obsessed. They saw it for what it was: a tool. Something that lets them connect, be creative, and get support.
Contrary to the narrative that social media is detrimental to teenage well-being, many young people find genuine value in their online interactions. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center study, 74 percent of teens feel that social media platforms enhance their connections with friends, and 63 percent view these platforms as outlets for their creativity.
