What happens when you grow up as the smartphone generation and then decide to put the phone down? In this episode, Olivia sits down with Gabriela Nguyen, founder of Appstinence, a Gen Z-led movement fighting to reclaim what we've lost to our screens. Together they dig into the real cost of a childhood shaped by devices, why social media has quietly rewired how an entire generation connects, and what it actually feels like to live without an iPhone in 2026.

Over the course of one day, students from three different Bay Area high schools are invited to question and sharpen their discourse skills while exploring these questions for themselves.

After spending more than a decade “chronically online,” Gabriela Nguyen realized her struggle with distraction, anxiety, and disconnection wasn’t a personal failing—it was the product of technologies designed to hijack attention. In this candid, research-grounded talk, she introduces “appstinence,” a way of reclaiming focus and meaning by redesigning our physical, digital, and social environments. This talk offers a hopeful blueprint for building a fuller, more human life beyond addictive technology. Gabriela Nguyen is the 24-year-old founder of Appstinence, a global movement challenging the idea that social media is necessary for connection. Rather than promoting digital detoxes or moderation, Appstinence advocates complete freedom from personal social media accounts in favor of direct communication through calling and texting.