Gabriela Nguyen got her first smart device when she was nine years old. Growing up in the 2000s — in Silicon Valley no less — she says families often encouraged children to embrace the most advanced technology.
Now, at 24 years old, Nguyen sees how digital dependence affected her ability to connect in real life with others — including during the pandemic when she noticed her life was worse, but not that much worse in isolation. That was one of multiple “cracks” that inspired her to delete all of her social media profiles and inspired her to go offline.
“Technology, especially when you grow up on it, it’s so intertwined with your life that I needed to see the cracks in the different facets of my life,” she says. “If it was just going to be my focus, that wasn’t going to be enough for me.”
Nguyen’s experience is all-too-common among youth today. A 2025 JAMA study found that one in two kids demonstrated “high addictive use” with mobile phones, one in three with social media and over 40 percent with video games. Addictive use is associated with two to three times greater risk of suicidal behavior and suicidal ideation.
To challenge the growing imposition of technology, Nguyen founded Appstinence as a student at Harvard University and now leads Time to Refuse. The Gen-Z powered initiative, representing a collaboration between Appstinence, The Anxious Generation and Reconnect, advocates against app addiction, one deleted profile at a time.
Time To Refuse kicked off on October 10 with a Deletion Day event in New York City’s Tompkins Square Park, at which Nguyen estimates over 80 people came together to delete the apps dominating their time and attention. Impassioned attendees shouted out the profiles they removed, ranging from Hinge to LinkedIn, Instagram and Spotify.
“It’s rare that I talk to somebody who isn’t interested in being on their phone less, or breaking away from social media.” — Mark Bernstiel
“We really wanted to emphasize, as you’re trying to get offline, make this a community effort,” Nguyen says. “Don’t just do it on your own, pull other people along with you, because even just from an individual standpoint, it’ll make it easier for you to transition if you know that other people are doing it.”
Inspired by Nguyen’s Deletion Day event, Philly’s Mark Bernstiel of From Your Corner is organizing a local version this weekend, at one of Philadelphia’s oldest bars. A Man Full of Trouble, at 127 Spruce St., will host the three-day gathering that includes organized events, game options, arts and crafts, and other avenues to connect.
First on the agenda is Quizzo on Friday, November 14 at 8pm. Then, more solo and group activities can be enjoyed at your leisure throughout the weekend. Bernstiel explains there will be a chest of supplies, such as letter paper and stamps, origami paper and a variety of games. This includes copies of Bernstiel’s zine, “Roll, Don’t Scroll,” which operates as a game of rolling dice to land on prompts of questions or activities.
He says it’s an opportunity to do the things that sometimes people feel like, “Oh, I don’t have time to do that, but I have time to spend four hours scrolling on Instagram.”
Bernstiel added that local clubs will be stopping by to mingle and talk about what they do. Finally, screen-free weekend culminates with Delete Day at 4pm on November 16, where attendees are invited to collectively delete the social media profiles of their choice.
“It’s rare that I talk to somebody who isn’t interested in being on their phone less, or breaking away from social media,” Bernstiel, 28, says. “Let’s give people the opportunity to reclaim their attention and time, and also do so collectively making a larger statement.”
Bernstiel finds it fitting to gather without screens at a tavern where people have been doing so since it opened in 1759. Whether you’re simply noticing yourself scrolling too often or are fully ready to quit using social media, Bernstiel sees the event as a place to experiment with resisting digital dependence and redirecting attention.
“Screen-free weekend gives the space for, wherever you are along that journey, to gather intentionally and put the digital distractions aside and connect with people,” he says. “You come with people, connect with friends, connect with neighbors.”
Bernstiel expects many pockets of Philadelphia communities to turn up, including PA Unplugged and the Philadelphia Luddite Club. He hopes the “ripples and momentum” from this event could lead people to turn away from screens in their own homes, gatherings and businesses.
“It’s really a community-forward initiative that’s focused on fostering belonging by supporting small businesses and encouraging healthy attention,” he said. “And anybody who cares about any of those things, Come aboard. There’s so much room for you.”
NYC event organizer Nick Plante, 25, says the community-based nature of Time to Refuse and associated movements is part of what makes it work. Rather than managing their struggles alone, where someone might remove an app from their home screen or try a 30-day detox before regressing to old habits, Plante says he’s seeing “a more sustainable migration off of social media because it’s happening increasingly in community.”
“Let’s give people the opportunity to reclaim their attention and time, and also do so collectively making a larger statement.” — Mark Bernstiel
While Bernstiel brings people together in Philadelphia, Time to Refuse is making an international stop in Nairobi, Kenya on November 15. Nguyen says the movement is unfolding organically, with interest spread across Australia, Finland, Virginia, California, Minnesota and more.
“A great aspect of the Time to Refuse campaign is that the expression is going to be unique to each city,” Plante said. “I can’t wait to see what Philly full of all these artists and sort of independent guests, creators, community organizers are going to come up with.”
Bernstiel and Plante emphasize that there is more to come in Philadelphia and many different ways to be involved for those who may not be able to make the screen-free weekend. Notably, the organizers are planning a larger outdoor gathering in the spring of 2026.
“This is just the beginning,” Plante says. “This is a call to action for more organizing in Philly, more coalition building in Philly.”
Friday, November 14 to Sunday, November 16, free, A Man Full of Trouble (127 Spruce St.). Featured events include Quizzo on Friday at 8pm and Delete Day on Sunday at 4pm.
Correction: An earlier version of this article misspelled Nick Plante’s last name.
MORE ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA
