Rebels maximize their lives by not just avoiding certain tech, but actively seeking out friendships and hobbies. Rebels embrace deep friendships with people who are fun, interesting, and trustworthy, and don’t have “followers,” chatbot “friends,” or random online connections. These superficial forms of “friendship” create the illusion of popularity but do not add to people’s quality of life.

Rebels also reject “fake freedom,” in which they seem free but other forces are really controlling their choices. They understand that real freedom means being in charge and making their own decisions without being prompted to, or fearing others’ judgment.

Becoming independent from devices means more time to learn skills and find ways to entertain yourself. While the “fake fun” of social media is like a short-lived sugar rush, real fun is actually memorable and feels good for longer. Teens share their favorite memories, such as exploring the city with friends, falling in love, dancing, camping, and hiking. These kinds of activities keep their brains in “Discover Mode.”

Being a tween and teen is a time of self-discovery. The authors recommend that young people become curious about their own interests, by asking whose company they enjoy, who do they admire, and what do they want to try. Life is better when people can pay attention to what they are actually doing. A sensory meditation (such as focusing on 5 things you see, 4 things you feel, 3 sounds you hear, 2 smells you smell, and 1 thing you taste) help you live in the present moment.

The authors suggest that teens can try new things with their parents’ permission, but without them there to supervise or help. This could be a new hobby, chores, cooking, hanging out, or some local exploration. If parents are worried, they could get a family “loaner phone” which kids only use when they are out of the house. The authors urge teens to create deep friendships, join clubs or new activities, and spend time outside.

By keeping their hobby stuff accessible, they’ll make it easier to do fun creative things and harder to be distracted by their devices. Being off social media means living life instead of “performing” for social media, and rebels can ask friends and parents to not post pics without their permission. Instead, rebels email or text pics, or make a photo album.

In the graphic novel, Emma takes photos instead of talking to friends on a walk. After realizing that social media is harming her friendships instead of helping them, Emma decides to delete her account. Meanwhile, Sophie inspires David to take up music and he joins her band. After summer break, Emma approaches Callie at school and asks to join the Adventure Club. She agrees that she will not use her phone during club hang-outs. Tyler surprises Jax by skateboarding, and Jax says they’ll just enjoy skating and not post any videos. Tyler agrees and admits that watching videos didn’t help his skating skills anyway. The kids enjoy their friendships and activities, feeling fully present in the moment.

The graphic novel in this section illustrates the authors’ opinion that social media can actually be isolating instead of connecting. When Emma feels disconnected from her friends and their summer fun, she blames her habit of always looking at her phone instead of seeing her friends in person more often. By deleting social media and joining a “real life” group, the Adventure Club, Emma restores her friendship with Callie and has something more rewarding to do than scroll and post. Similarly, by giving up his phone time and skating with Jax, Tyler actually improves his skating skills instead of just watching other people skate online. 

These storylines present phone time as an appealing, but ultimately depressing and isolating force in young people’s lives. This is supported by real teens’ experiences: As 16-year-old Ruqayah puts it, “Friendships would be stronger without social media” (183). The authors’ numerous tools and tricks in this section give teens and parents plenty of ideas for how they can prioritize real-world friendships and learning over screen time, presenting a less tech-dependent life as practical and even exciting.

Chapter Lessons

• Rebels look for ways to try new things and grow their skills and independence
• Spending time with friends in person is the best way to really bond
• Being outside and exploring new hobbies helps you feel good and grow as a person

Reflection Questions

• When was the last time you felt a deep sense of happiness? What were you doing?
• Do you have online “friends”? How many of these people count as your “real friends”? Why?
• Think of a (not online) hobby you would like to restart or try for the first time. Will you do it alone or with friends? Do you need your parents’ permission?