Unlike in the popular myths about Generation Z, I for one did not grow up scrolling social media all the time. My experience may not be very representative of my demographic, but it may still reflect some common themes of my generation.

As a distinguished newspaper recently noted in an article about Gen-Z, the conversation around our generation often focuses on only the small percentage of people in our age bracket living in rich countries, like the United States. As such, studies and surveys conducted only in those countries fail to reflect the reality for the vast majority of Gen-Zers. For example, the excessive use of smartphones is decried as the great evil plaguing youth in America, yet in countries where the alternative is gang violence or no social connectivity at all, it is no doubt more of a blessing than a curse.

Born in 2007, I grew up when the so-called Internet economy was just starting to take off. My parents bought me my first iPad in 2016 while on an extended stay in the US. Overall, I view my initial use of that device positively. Through audiobooks downloaded on it, I was able to keep up with my learning while returning to China. I didn't use it much as a tool for social media accounts until I entered middle school, and even then I was not a heavy user of social media. Now in high school, social media is an effective tool for me to promote my projects and share what I do with people I know. It is true that there are times when I spend more time on it than I should, but there's no denying that it has also provided me with an opportunity to connect with people I would otherwise never meet.