Notifications, likes, and another short video. Many of these mechanisms are designed specifically to ensure we simply cannot stop.

We spent another day at Primary School No. 3 in Reda, talking with students about what happens to their emotions and dopamine levels when they fall into a digital spiral. Our workshop, "Logged In or Trapped?", was not a moralizing lecture on the dangers of screens. Instead, it was a concrete attempt to understand why it is so difficult to put the phone down when an algorithm feeds us exactly what we are looking for at any given moment.

Together with the students, we analyzed the moments when they lose control—from compulsive scrolling to chatting with AI, which sometimes feels easier than face-to-face conversation. The most valuable moments were when the participants themselves identified warning signs: that sudden feeling of irritation when someone interrupts them, or the reflexive reaching for a device without any specific purpose.

We did not offer ready-made recipes, as those rarely work. Instead, we worked together to build boundaries for online time that are actually sustainable, and we looked for ways to consciously return to offline activities. It is all about being mindful of one's own habits and learning self-regulation in a world that is constantly fighting for our attention.

We are working as part of the project "Echo of Relationships. Prevention of Digital Addiction in the Age of Artificial Empathy," which we are implementing in cooperation with the Mayor of Reda.