Project Reboot Reframes the Role of Technology in Students’ Lives

Dawson Kelly, head of youth advocacy for Project Reboot, addressed the Westminster school community in October about the impact screen time, technology platforms, and artificial intelligence have on today’s digitally native students. Developed at UC Berkeley, Project Reboot seeks to help students reset their tech habits, reclaim their time, and regain their focus by partnering with school communities to create a campus culture where healthy tech use is the norm, not the exception. To clarify the intent of his presentation, Kelly said, “This is not an anti-technology talk. I am not saying that you should delete all of your social media. It’s about using this technology in an intentional way, in a way that you are happy with.”

 

A self-described “guinea pig” of social media apps, gaming technology, and online video content, Kelly explained, “If you grew up with a tablet in your lap or phone in your hand, you were a part of this experiment with me, too. People who knew my brain better than I did knowingly and deliberately addicted me to apps and games that pulled me out of the real world and stunted my growth. We’re all in this together.”

 

Kelly described the challenges of students’ constant exposure to technology and shared statistics reflecting the toll social media algorithms and “sticky” apps can take on students’ mental health, well-being, and long-term happiness. The health dangers of being socially disconnected, lonely, and addicted to some form of technology are real and devastating, but Kelly emphasized that taking time away from technology to actively make social connections within the Westminster community “is something that’s free that we could all do together to make each other healthier.”

 

After speaking, Kelly joined a panel of students, alumni, and faculty on stage “to talk about how this culture change can happen, and how we can focus on connection, reflection, and play being embedded in our school culture.” Faculty members Michael Velez and Kelly Wosleger, alumna Jordan Gowdy ’14, and current students Auggie Jiranek ’27, Rohan Satpathy ’27, and Sofia Eleuteri ’28 spoke candidly about their personal challenges with technology, strategies they used to minimize time spent on devices, and what changes they had seen in Westminster culture since stricter phone limitations were put in place for the 2026–27 school year.

 

Prompted by Project Reboot questions, students engaged with peers during advisory lunch later that day to talk about technology-related issues, individual experiences, and ways to create a supportive culture on campus that isn’t dictated by social media participation. Dawson Kelly’s message was reiterated: “Education alone is not enough to solve this problem. There needs to be a larger culture shift in place that allows us to get to this point where we’re not dependent on this technology.”