According to a study by Statista in 2023, 56% of Generation Z is addicted to their devices (Statista, 2023). Furthermore, a study in 2024 shows that 65% of Generation Alpha– ages eight to ten– regularly scroll on social media for hours on end (Basis, 2024). Regardless of the stimuli, children, adolescents, and young adults of the world are attached to their devices. Playing outside with other kids and riding bikes around the block have slowly turned into hours of Roblox after school and scrolling through Tik Tok until one’s bedtime. Numerous studies have proven that the growing numbers of kids facing obesity and ADHD can be linked to spending more time in front of screens and less time connecting with nature. The creation of these bad habits at a young age causes a destructive cycle that becomes increasingly hard to break throughout their life— making it increasingly important to combat this issue as early as possible.

Real dopamine– exercising, meeting new people, etc– have been replaced by artificial sources– a new video on Instagram Reels, a funny Tweet that someone has sent, the list goes on. The immediate ramifications of this are constant feelings of low motivation, even sometimes leading to depression. Although it may not seem serious in the moment, our society’s addiction to superficial dopamine could have long term consequences.

There is no need to panic though; there are small things that you can incorporate into your life to get back on track. For one, you can go out on daily walks. Exposure to sunlight and small interactions with your neighbors have been proven to boost natural dopamine and endorphins. Furthermore, if you would like to bring this on a larger scale, you can sign up to be a Kickstarter for OutAbout.

The process is simple– fill out our Kickstarter Inquiry Form. Our team will reach out and provide extra information regarding setting up as well as a care package! Afterwards, you only need to make a simple set up– a couple of chairs, even water– for your local neighborhood community on the first Sunday of every month. It’s that simple!

Being a Kickstarter is not just an amazing extracurricular out there for our ambitious teenagers– but it is also a terrific way to mitigate the devastating consequences that social media has on our mental and physical well being. Health is a journey, not a destination, and we are the catalyst to help you get there.