She took ‘60 Days to Disconnect’ and wrote a book
People magazine named Tar Heel sophomore Keegan Lee a “Girl Changing the World” for exposing the dangers of social media addiction.
In a world where smartphones are viewed as extensions of ourselves, many find it difficult to go a few minutes without checking for a notification. For younger generations, who cannot recall a time when these devices weren’t ubiquitous, this struggle can be even worse. When Keegan Lee was only a sophomore in high school, she realized her reliance on social media apps was starting to become an addiction.
“It was the middle of the pandemic, and I was just consumed by all the social media platforms,” the Carolina sophomore said. “There was this sense of false gratification with each notification, and I was constantly anticipating the next alert. I saw this in my peers as well.”
Lee took action. She reached out to Bilal Ghandour, a psychologist and professor at Elon University, and explained the disconnect that she was feeling because of her phone.
Ghandour suggested Lee embark on a 60-day social media cleanse and trade in her usual status updates for journal entries to chronicle her time away from the apps. This journey, along with scientific data on social media addiction among youths, became the basis for a book Lee co-wrote with Ghandour, “60 Days to Disconnect.”
“Initially I went through a withdrawal period,” Lee said. “But soon I realized I had to find substitutes for being on my phone. I had more authentic conversations, and I found myself appreciating tiny interactions so much more.”
At Carolina, Lee has been able to learn from and network with experts in the field, as well as give lectures on the dangers of social media addiction. Currently double-majoring in English and psychology, she hopes to one day combine her passion for teaching and research and pursue a doctorate in psychology.
She’s already combining those passions through her campus involvement. Lee belongs to Active Minds, a campus organization that aims to increase awareness of mental health conditions, and to Design It For Us, a coalition advocating for safer social media platforms. She’s a member of the youth boards at Mental Health America and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Lee also works with the North Carolina Zoo to research how chimpanzees of different age ranges react to smartphones and tablets.
In celebration of International Day of the Girl, People magazine recently recognized Lee for her advocacy work as one of seven “Girls Changing the World.”
But Lee finds it most rewarding speaking to middle and high school students about how to use social media in a responsible way.
“If we can teach children strategies and self-control with social media, they will have more control over it as opposed to it having control over them,” Lee said. “I’m lucky that I haven’t been met with much resistance from the young people I talk to or my peers about how we should move forward.”
As far as the status of Lee’s relationship with social media goes, she says it’s better than ever. She understands that not using social media at all isn’t an option with her current interests, but she limits usage to just on her laptop and uses the platforms to amplify her advocacy work.
“I know this issue doesn’t have a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution,” Lee said. “But for me, this is what’s worked.”
