How a Student-Led Movement is Helping Teens Reclaim 2 Hours of Screen Time a Day

It is no secret that screen time is one of the biggest challenges facing today’s youth. But while most adults simply tell teenagers to “get off their phones,” a group of high schoolers decided to take a different approach: building a world where kids actually want to put their devices down.

Enter Descreened, a youth-led, international nonprofit dedicated to helping students build a healthier relationship with technology. Founded by Ahmed Farooqui, Atharva Naveen, Nathan Mathew, and Pearson Pham, the organization focuses on providing hands-on, engaging alternatives to digital scrolling.

And their approach is working. In a recent survey of over 1,000 students, Descreened tracked roughly 250 participants who reported reducing their daily screen time by an impressive average of 1 hour and 49 minutes. To understand how they are making this happen, Tanusha Narula from The Optimist News sat down with the co-founders of Descreened.

Tanusha Narula: What originally sparked the creation of Descreened? Was there a specific moment you realized screen time was becoming a major hurdle for you and your peers?

Ahmed Farooqui: Descreened originally started with four of us: Ahmed Farooqui, Atharva Naveen, Nathan Mathew, and Pearson Pham. We noticed how much time students were spending on their phones and how easily screen use could replace hobbies, face-to-face interaction, and other meaningful activities.

We realized that simply telling young people to “get off their phones” wasn’t going to solve the problem. Instead, we wanted to create positive alternatives that would make putting the phone down feel worthwhile. What started as a small student-led initiative eventually developed into an international organization, allowing us to bring the same mission to students and communities beyond where we started.

Tanusha: You tracked a really impressive stat—students reducing screen time by nearly 2 hours a day on average. What specific habit shifts or strategies actually worked best for them?

Atharva Naveen: One of the biggest things we learned was that reducing screen time works better when you’re replacing it with something meaningful rather than simply taking the screen away.

We encouraged students to create designated screen-free periods and use that time for activities they genuinely enjoyed, such as reading, drawing, playing games, spending time with friends and family, going outside, or working on hands-on projects. We also had students put down their phone 30 minutes before they went to bed, which led to overall better sleep quality and improved sleep longevity.

The goal isn’t to eliminate technology from our lives. It’s to make sure we’re choosing when and why we use it.

Tanusha: Tell us about the screen-free and STEM kits you’ve donated through Health Services of North Texas. What goes into these kits, and how do they encourage hands-on engagement?

Nathan Mathew: Our screen-free and STEM kits were created to give children engaging activities they can enjoy without needing a phone, tablet, or television. Depending on the kit, they include things like coloring and creative materials, stickers, fidget activities, puzzles, and STEM activities that encourage children to build, create, experiment, and use their imagination.

Through our work with Health Services of North Texas, we’ve been able to donate these kits directly to children and families in the community. It’s one way we’re turning our mission into something tangible and making screen-free activities accessible to children who may not otherwise have them.

Tanusha: Social media often gives a false sense of connection. How is Descreened creating offline spaces and community activities that teens actually want to participate in over scrolling?

Pearson Pham: We don’t want offline activities to feel like a punishment for using technology. We want them to be something young people genuinely look forward to.

Through our international chapters, community events, screen-free initiatives, and hands-on activities, we’re creating opportunities for students to meet people, collaborate, learn new skills, and spend time together without a screen being the center of the experience. Rather than having one organization tell young people what they should do, we’re giving young people the opportunity to create the kinds of offline experiences they actually want to participate in.

Tanusha: For high schoolers or young adults reading this who feel overwhelmed by their digital habits, what is one simple, realistic change they can start making today?

Ahmed Farooqui: Start small. Pick just 30 minutes a day to be completely screen-free. Put your phone somewhere away from you and use that time to do something you actually enjoy—read, draw, go outside, play a game, work on a hobby, or talk with someone face-to-face.

The goal isn’t to suddenly cut out hours of screen time. It’s to prove to yourself that you can intentionally choose how you spend your time. Once 30 minutes becomes comfortable, you can gradually build from there.

Tanusha: What is the long-term vision for Descreened, and how can our readers support your mission?

Nathan Mathew: Our long-term vision is to grow Descreened into a global, youth-led movement that changes the way young people think about their relationship with technology.

Students can get involved by joining or starting a Descreened chapter, participating in our initiatives, or helping organize screen-free activities in their communities. Ultimately, we want to shift the conversation from “How do we get young people off their phones?” to “How do we create a world that makes them want to put their phones down?”