A message for you (the adult reads it out loud)

Hi. I want to tell you a secret: the magnet pulls me too.

When I went on trips, I used to spend lots of time taking photos with my phone. I wanted to keep everything so I'd remember. But one day I realized that, by looking at everything through the screen, I wasn't really looking: not at the view, not at the people, not at anything.

Now I take a few photos, and the rest of the time I look with my own eyes. And guess what? I remember much better.

I also used to watch videos and videos, and the hours would go by. Now I'd rather read, go outside, and be with the people I love.

Screens aren't bad. You can learn a lot and have lots of fun with them. But the best things in life happen outside the screen: a sunset, a game with your friends, dinner with your family, a hug.

Now you know how to let go of the magnet. You're the boss!

With love,
the one who wrote this route

Before you close this route, I want to tell you something about me.

It's happened to me many times: I'm talking with someone and, suddenly, something pops up on their phone. Their eyes go to the screen, and the conversation fades. They don't say anything wrong. They just leave for a while. And what I was telling them stops mattering, even to me.

I've seen it when going out with friends: a pause comes and everyone pulls out their phone, until someone snaps out of it and we come back. And I've done it myself, with my family, with the people I love most. That's the mistake that hurts most, because it's with the people we think we'll always have time for.

On trips, I used to take lots of photos. Not to post them: to keep the memory. Until I realized that, by keeping the memory, I wasn't living the moment. Since then I look for a balance: I take a few photos, and the rest of the time I enjoy it. The view, the place, the taste of the food. Those memories stayed with me better than any photo.

There was a time when I spent hours watching videos. They made me laugh and seemed harmless, until I added up the hours. Today I decide how much time I give to social media, and it's usually little. I try not to get lost in videos, and I read more.

So, now that you're finishing, I'll tell you this:

Not everything on the internet is bad. There's valuable information, content that helps you grow, entertainment that's worth it, and tools, like artificial intelligence, that can help you a lot. Make the most of them. But you be the one in control of your time, because time doesn't come back.

Devote yourself to living. To enjoying simple things, which are almost always the best: a meal, an unhurried conversation, an afternoon with your friends or your family. Look the person in front of you in the eye.

Let's focus on being better human beings, and on enjoying the short time we have here. Let's not let it go by looking at a screen.

With love,
the one who wrote this route

Before you close this route, I want to tell you something about me.

It's happened to me many times: I'm talking with someone and, suddenly, something pops up on their phone. Their eyes go to the screen, and the conversation fades. They don't say anything wrong. They just leave for a while. And what I was telling them stops mattering, even to me.

I've seen it when going out with friends: a pause comes and everyone pulls out their phone, until someone snaps out of it and we come back. And I've done it myself, with my family, with the people I love most. That's the mistake that hurts most, because it's with the people we think we'll always have time for.

On trips, I used to take lots of photos. Not to post them: to keep the memory. Until I realized that, by keeping the memory, I wasn't living the moment. I was looking at places through a screen and not connecting with anything. Since then I look for a balance: I take a few photos, and the rest of the time I enjoy it. The view, the place, the taste of the food. Those memories stayed with me better than any photo.

There was a time when I spent hours watching videos. They made me laugh and seemed harmless, until I added up the hours. Today I decide how much time I give to social media, and it's usually little. I try not to get lost in videos, and I read more. For work I spend most of the day in front of a screen, so it's not about running away from it. It's about not leaving people for later.

So, now that you're finishing, I'll tell you this:

Not everything on the internet is bad. There's valuable information, content that helps you grow, entertainment that's worth it, and tools, like artificial intelligence, that can help you a lot. Make the most of them. But you be the one in control of your time, because time doesn't come back. It's very easy to put off what matters by keeping up with things you won't even remember tomorrow.

Devote yourself to living. To enjoying simple things, which are almost always the best: a meal, an unhurried conversation, an afternoon with your people. Look the person in front of you in the eye.

Let's focus on being better human beings, and on enjoying the short time we have here. Let's not let it go by looking at a screen.

With love,
the one who wrote this route