Chronically Online: The Epidemic of The Century | Alana Lintao | TEDxBayonne

In her talk, Alana discusses the harm that social media’s influence will cause in years to come if people don’t start making changes to their media consumption habits today.
She talks about the relationship between social media and sedentary lifestyles, physical health, and the ever-evolving cultural landscape.
Alana aims to provide solutions to this silent epidemic. Alana Lintao is a content creator, student, and model. She is widely known for her short-form videos and has worked closely with companies such as Meta, KZbin, Amazon, Uber, and more.
Dedicated to using her platforms to spread laughter and joy, she hopes to continue to leave a positive impact on her audience’s lives through her content online. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@darlinggdita]

giving a ted talk with a ribbon in her hair and spitting facts. what an icon.

[@livelovelana.13]

shes an icon fr. shes got her own yt u should check it out

[@darlinggdita]

@@livelovelana.13 yeah i know her from her meme shorts literally love her

[@Coffee_Bean08]

Shes got that dog in her ❤🎀🎀🎀👸👸👑👑✨✨✨✨

[@citrus2769]

What does the ribbon have to do with it 😭😭

[@Yourhandleneedstobeatleast]

​@citrus2769 it's rather childish

[@Maye___]

I DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE HER ON A TED TALK

[@Linaosaur]

SAME HELP

[@jadahwise]

RIGHTTTTTT???

[@kressypoo]

me neither, i did a double take

[@jadahwise]

@@kressypoo I LOVE ur pfp

[@6171boots]

Who is she?

[@ilovetaylorswift_13]

she talks about how she has social anxiety, and i’m so proud of her for being able to talk in front of such a big crowd!! 💗

[@chrisjfox8715]

Speaking in front of a large crowd with a planned talk can oftentimes be easier than the unscripted unpredictable nature of social interactions with one person or a small group

[@ilovetaylorswift_13]

@@chrisjfox8715 that’s definitely something to consider! i’m still proud of her because personally i could never get up in front of so many people like that 💕💕

[@chrisjfox8715]

@@ilovetaylorswift_13 respect... Best of luck to you in everything you do

[@soyaleye]

“I assure you your loved ones need your likes and comments way more than a celebrity does”… THAT PART

[@ohrylies]

This reality really just hit me hard. I’ve been spending too much time on my phone, mindlessly scrolling. It’s not worth it to just stare a phone for a majority of your life. Alana did amazing on this and it really opened my eyes. I’m honestly worried for this upcoming generation

[@missdream7113]

I agree! Sometimes you need someone to just say it plainly for it to hit you just how much time you’re wasting. And as a fellow fan, as I see you are, sometimes that makes it hard cause you feel like you’re gonna miss out on stuff if you put your phone down or there’s always new content coming out about your favorite artist or the show you just started watching

[@fyoutube2294]

dude speak for yourself. I love every second I play doodle jump

[@lilithcrescent]

@@missdream7113If you’re feeling like you may be left out of things, I suggest limiting the amount of hours you spend on your phone. That way you’ll be able to catch up! (If that makes any sense)

[@dwaynehewitt210]

Upcoming generation? Yeah, they're screwed. lol

[@rainfall6805]

So proud of Alana for this one, and the truth behind it is insane to actually hear about. During the midst of the pandemic especially, many of us spent nearly half the day (or more) on screens, whether it was for work and school purposes, or entertainment purposes. Now, let's be honest, most of it was entertainment. Constant scrolling for no other reason then we just had nothing to do. And now that bad habit is certainly reflecting on us more, and we are finding it much harder to detach from our screens. Truly an eye-opening TED talk- thank you Alana.

[@lilithcrescent]

True! Everyone I know enjoyed the pandemic because they were able to be at home and enjoy different stuff and not just be on their phones whilst here I was just on my phone till 6am and waking up so late!! Yeah it had a huge hit on me but I’m focusing on improving from this point on :) 🎉

[@void2078]

Ikrrrr

[@dehaka3764]

shes very good looking

[@Ella-sf3rq]

VERY WELL SAID !!

[@G.I_Jane]

The pandemic was not even the issue, people been doing it since before, covid has nothing to do with it

[@claireis]

i’m 17 and deleted tiktok a few days ago. i averaged a 7 hours of screen time last week. i’ve noticed that i constantly feel the urge to go on tiktok, on the toilet, eating food, walking in schools hallways, any few free minutes i have i want to spend scrolling away.

[@sof5611]

samee that was me with discord. at first it was difficult, but now after a year i can say that it is not a true necessity. im more focused now and there is less drama going on. im happier without it tbh

[@pixelzebra8440]

Same way with KZbin I got literally 10 and a half hours a day on average 😭

[@guillermo.mserrano]

I'm so thankful I never got to install TikTok. I also wanted to boycott Instagram, but I installed it because my therapist advised me to. Still, I barely use my account. However, I do make a lot of aimless scrolling in KZbin or reading newspapers, and sometimes in Reddit.

[@sournois90]

​@@guillermo.mserranopeople told me instagram is good for making friends, is it true?

[@linaelui]

@@guillermo.mserranowhy did your therapist advised you to if you don‘t mind me asking?

[@MANGAKA__13]

So basically she’s telling us to touch that grass😭 So proud of Alana by the way especially as someone like myself who has social anxiety

[@cardboardsocks3444]

"what would your life look like if u reclaimed those 7 hours a day aimlessly scrolling on socials?" think about that question

[@pixelzebra8440]

Bruh i got 10 and a half hour average on my phone help 😭😭😭

[@zharahussain8004]

​@@pixelzebra8440read the Qur'an English, find it on Google it will help

[@EPCauto2]

​@@pixelzebra8440get off the phone and actually do something

[@user87255]

i spent two months without a phone/social media and that time was really beautiful and eye opening to what social media really does to our brains. the first couple weeks i noticed significant changes my attention span increased A LOT, i slept better, i was suddenly able to enjoy the little pleasures in life again, life felt like back when i was a kid and i could completely engross myself in a moment or activity, my mind felt sm clearer. i literally felt like i had woken up from a nightmare 😭 and was finally able to experience the beauty of living again. it’s really really sad what phones have done to people and they don’t even know the full extent of it, it literally changes how you experience life and interact with people

[@pyroclastic8924]

how did you do it? like, i feel like i need my phone in order to keep up with my classes. then there's the self-discipline part, too... and are you still living without a phone or is just lower usage?

[@zoey398]

@@pyroclastic8924i'm unsure tbh, i feel like at the point i'm in in my life right now i quite literally need my phone to keep interaction with anybody and be able to check things for school or contact people when i need to. usually i watch creative content or video essays as well which allows me to think more creatively for the schoolwork i have to do. i think the only way in which i would currently be able to 100% go without my phone would be ifni was grounded, and that would be because it'd be a must. limiting your time on social media however is a great place to start if you use it consistently.

[@user87255]

⁠@@pyroclastic8924well you don’t necessarily have to go without a phone, but for me i was addicted to tiktok and Twitter and i tried to delete them but it never worked nothing else could hold my interest, my memory and attention span was awful, and i had no sense of who i was. when i graduated hs i got rid of my iPhone and got a flip phone instead and that’s the only thing i had that summer, but when i started college i needed to do online work so i got an iPad. so now i have my flip phone and my iPad, the only social media i use is KZbin and i watch informative videos or unique topics that interest me. i always have a purpose and an intention when i go to use my ipad i never use it just because if you know what i mean? my advice would be to go on a mini social media break, even two weeks is enough time to see changes only leave apps that you absolutely need like for school and try not to go on your phone unless you have a reason to, make a list of hobbies you want to use to fill that time with, that’s what really helped me.

[@pishishiraz]

@@pyroclastic8924 if you absolutely need a phone to do necessary things like school, etc. just take a break from any mindless activity on your phone. no youtube, tiktok, instagram, or anything, just whatever you need to do. if you ever feel the sudden urge to pick up your phone and do something, distract yourself. read a book, take a walk, do things that you did when you were younger, even playing or working out. once you keep this up for a few days, the rest of it is a breeze. make this comment the last thing you see before detaching from your phone overall. i hope in the days after your break you don't run back to your phone, but rather learn from your experience that there are things in life that we don't appreciate because our heads are stuck in our phones.

[@nbassasin8092]

@@pyroclastic8924 you dont have to completely stop using it to feel the benefits. limiting yourself to just checking your classes would still result in the same benefits, because that wqould be like 30-ish minutes a day, and thats nothing

[@SUM41YANA24M]

Alana is incredibly inspiring. She is an amazing role model and constantly motivates her audience on her channel. This Ted talk was something we all knew had to happen in Alana's career. As someone who has been a part of her audience for some time now, I can say I am very proud of how far she's come and deserves all the praise ❤

[@adrienagreste1841]

bro ur in all of alanas comments

[@GorillaInnaCoupe]

stop glazing bruh

[@CorrineNicole]

@@GorillaInnaCoupeWhy are you so negative?

[@laralia1972]

SO PROUD OF YOU ALANA! she is totally amazing for this. I see how she is a bit anxious but she's killing it.

[@SUM41YANA24M]

This is so true. Gen Z can deny having a long screen time because our perception of that time is 'stretched'. I knew someone that said their 14 hour screen time wasn't that long...those 14 hours were spent scrolling, mind jumping from one thing to another too quickly for the brain to process and ultimately not caring about what people were doing or had to say. Alana is so right talking about how, especially, our generation is chronically online, and as a gen z person myself, I understand. We should strive to lower our screen time, and do something that can help us in the long term, not something that entertains us for 15 seconds

[@gavins9846]

Yup. I blame the recommendations section. Dont let the internet use you.

[@lucinda_null]

14 hours wtf

[@D3c4yingb0n3s]

I cannot be the only person who looked at the thumbnail twice to make sure they weren’t hallucinating

[@nataliahicks4629]

It scares me how much time I probably spend online. It's insane. Well done Alana!

[@Sincerlypage]

Nah I’m just imagining being in class one day and they play this and I’m just like, “ HEY!!! That’s my fav KZbinr!!!”

[@cynthiadawndew680]

Have you tried suggesting it to your teacher yet?

[@aden32201]

this is why my parents never bought me a phone till i was 18 years old. they always said what Alana so eloquently stated here; you consume more than you live. it's inspiring seeing someone in my generation speak up about the issues of social media today and the genuinely frightening hold it has on people today. since when did we let online strangers dictate how we feel about ourselves? since when did anyone have a 'perfect life'? she was amazing in this ted talk. Thank you Alana!

[@cmorte5]

Your parents are awesome! My kids get their first phone at 16... but 18 is even better🙌

[@ayeshaimranx]

My screen time is extremely concerning. From 9-12 hrs, almost everyday. I really have extreme low self-esteem. I don’t like to socialize and prefer reconnecting on social media platforms but seriously, this is really really concerning. I had a time where I prioritized my studies over everything. Now it’s gone abysmal and I’ve lost it.

[@clydepk3067]

Set screen times

[@payasoinfeliz]

you dont have to like it to do it. and the more you do it, the less anxiety it will give you. try going outside of your comfort zone in baby steps. maybe once per day, for 20 minutes. do something social you wouldnt ordinarily do.

[@RikkeGade]

It's not too late to change your story. You can do it, you are in control

[@pililja676]

My respect for Alana: 📈📈📈

[@sallylovests]

I feel like this only "get off ur phone" speech that works for me

[@bria7885]

To edit a pimple on one's face to seem more authentic? I didn't realise these things happened. Thank you Alana for the eye opener. I forget that not all things are real on social media and i definitely tend to take what the internet says as fact. Also thats true. We tend to think that there are 24 hours in day. In reality there's only about 17 hours.

[@KilahGill]

Sometimes I forget Alana is a kid genius. I love her!

[@bisma9899]

what a beautiful, eloquent, and necessary presentation fit just into 7 minutes! this is what we all need to hear. social media needs to be used in moderation! it shouldn't become our lives. it should be used to enhance our lives. and once it becomes damaging, that's where we draw the boundary. we are so lonely, insecure, and cautious. we are destroying our humanity. we need to nourish ourselves spiritually, creatively, intellectually, and socially. thank you for your words, alana.

[@readingtoomuchfiction]

but the fact that she had this whole speech and all the statistics memorized like PROPS TO YOU ALANA!!!

[@reyuwoo]

This gave me chills. She really was able to express this and move me well.

[@sarad7951]

I’m always so in awe of how wise beyond her years she is, at only 19 years old, any time I see her on her various social media accounts expressing her thoughts and opinions on serious matters like this. She is a rare gem of her generation💎🩷and we must protect her at all costs! She speaks truth on such an important topic 🙏🏻

[@evap.5121]

This kid is so innately smart, creative and insightful I love her content

[@nai_dai]

i totally agree with this, Alana has been a huge inspiration for me for a while now and seeing her talk about issues like this as an influencer is very nice to see. I can't believe how far she has come.

[@amylopez8486]

Im so proud her!!when she asked the question of how it might be in 2024 and she said will mental illnesess still be an aesthetic it reminded me when a lot of my friend's would be like "oh I have OCD i always want everything to be perfect" which kinda hurt me since me and my bff actually have it and know there is way more to OCD than nust being a perfectionist and they arent good things.

[@cozart2476]

as someone who has ocd, i wish the disorder was talked about way more because it is so misrepresented to the point where i didn't even know i had it for years. also no one ever talks about how vast the spectrum is and how complex ocd is

[@Rebecca-asdf]

WHOAAAA FOUND HER YT CHANNEL AND NOW SHE HAS A WHOLE TED TALK U GO GIRL 👏

[@floralgrenade]

this was amazing, im so proud of her shes come so far ❤

[@milkflavored]

The statistic she provided about a sedentary lifestyle knocking years off our lifespans really hit me - it’s seems like a no-duh, but I think I needed to hear it in plain words

[@TripleCharmFan2200]

Why am I just now seeing this😮I NEVER EXPECTED ALANA TO BE ON HERE😭😮

[@iheartstars333]

i love her point on education about the internet. every generation needs to learn internet etiquette and what to share, what to believe, and how to control their social media consumption

[@rileywilliams2023-]

HOW COME ALANA DIDN'T TELL US THIS!? I LOVE ALANA SHE IS MY FAVORITE KZbinR EVER!!! I am SO SO proud of her!!! Great job with this tedtalk. I love her! ❤❤❤❤

[@staridave]

same!!

[@f.otosbysharon6034]

This is truly eye opening. When I do, I want to spend my screen time watching videos like this. Something that adds value to my life, not seconds that add on to hours of wasted time. 31 years is absurd, my life is worth more than that . Great talk👏

[@rainsqws]

So proud if you Alana!!! All the things she said in this video were so true. It really put things into perspective when she said at the rate we're at rn, we spend 31 years of our life on a screen. It makes me want to turn my life around and suppress my screen time.

[@cupcqke_]

This is definitely one of the best Ted talks I have heard. So inspiring!

[@abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxw]

I'm so proud of her! I've loved her videos and have been watching them for so long now and to hear a social media influencer talk about an issue like this really makes a point and goes to show that she knows what she's talking about. keep working🥰🥰

[@lauramc.17]

I am so proud of Alana for such a milestone in giving her own TED talk 👏And also for a really important topic that is making a big impact i our lives. I started to realize the cons of spending so much time online, and it truly worried me. So I decided that I had to make some urgent changes if I wanted to improve my life quality. I started by deleting my facebook account, then checking on my twitter once every 10 or 15 days, and for instagram which is the hardest for me, I set up a limit for my daily screen time. It truly has helped my mental health, and I've been feeling more productive too. It's very difficult to apply those changes when you are so used to social media, but little by little it is 100% possible, you just need to be consistent even if it's small progress because baby steps are still steps. You will realize that social media can be a really nice tool when you use it properly instead of letting it consume half of your life! 🌻

[@nattib.5602]

Well said Alana it's scary to think about and hear. I'm trying to break my own bad habits and addiction to the internet. I'm not even happy but it's hard to stop and sit with myself sometimes.

[@jamiew9289]

Recently admitted to some friends of mine at a help group that I have a video game addiction and I'm trying to limit my time spent on games right now, it's so easy to escape into a digital world when you are struggling, especially for our youth. I'm really hoping people can start discussing screen usage and technology addictions thanks for the ted talk

[@savannahpettiford360]

Alana is so inspiring she's amazing

[@littlemushwoom1367]

This really opened my eyes. I’m not going to use my phone as much anymore. I’m so proud of her for coming up in front of a crowd and saying this!

[@nnnnom]

She did this flawlessly despite her social issues. That's amazing

[@ilovepeanutbutter111]

i'm so glad to see her potential used this way, its awesome to see a young person talk about these things. She has my full support. Awesome ted talk!

[@toenailsthethird155]

Chills bro. As a very very late gen-z, basically gen-alpha, I enjoyed this. I'm not even gonna lie, this might be the first ted talk I decided to watch fully this was actually interesting.

[@user-lr1jf7jc5t]

what yr are you

[@rynkyuto]

She's my favorite human being for a reason 💗

[@cardboardsocks3444]

alana inspires me so much ily girl

[@pineapplestraws329]

honestly i look up to her so much as a person so proud of you for this alana keep it going :,)

[@madelynpenhall7945]

I want to share this with my school and I know the kids at my school won’t take this seriously but I hope someone takes it to heart because this is very really and very inspirational

[@ss_n5efnl]

bro i can hear the shaking in her voice. she did amazing! :D

[@ArissaHaque]

Man, I’m really starting to look up to her a lot. I’m inspired to take a break and go to bed now, thank you Alana

[@gabbyomega]

Okay wow this was so insightful and honestly summarizes how I've been feeling for so long. So well said.

[@NirvanaBesesarSnow]

Thank you, Alana, for waking us up and making us realize that there is more in life than social media(love your videos)🩵

[@hannahdoesntuseyt]

Beautiful insight! Proud of you, Alana! 🤍

[@victoriaherrera6289]

Everything Alana pointed out was so well put, but I think something has to be said about the fact that the user can't be entirely blamed when cycles are often repeated by the fact that the algorithm thrives off more engagement. Companies collect our information so that we keep using our phones to a point where they don't even have to think about the well being of the user. Its reckless & other parts of the world are doing just fine while having certain laws that protect their citizens from so much data collection.

[@user-nm5xc3ms3i]

The princess has spoken. Love her outfit! Was anyone else waiting for the jokes and funny editing???

[@captainmattxd]

Well done Alana!

[@vjlva]

So proud of her and I don't even know her one bit. She spoke truthfully and I share the same opinions with her; being bombarded by different things through social media but it is up to us as users how we USE these tools. I loved the part where she mentiones "connecting with old friends", which I'm trying to do 'cause sometimes I isolate myself; furthermore, where it is completely incorrect to do a self-diagnosis about any mental health topic, should be taken with a professional.

[@urmommeerab]

SHE CAME SO FAR SO PROUD OMG

[@colinsdemise9021]

shes such a inspiration to me, as a young girl seeing her struggle and share that online makes me feel seen as another young girl. sh definitely rizzed awareness, alana is the best youtuber who always makes me laugh and understand myself better.

[@Shablammity]

Here is my first step to stop being a passive social media consumer. Thank you so much for speaking on this subject and it really enlightened and reformed how and what I choose to consume on the internet 💗

[@aawesome_amp]

Alana is so well spoken like this video made me wanna run 20 laps around my house

[@ggfr6489]

IT CAME OUt A MONTH AGO, IM SO MAD. I was trying to wait since they were kinda taking long! So proud of you Alana ❤️

[@beccaalmeidaa]

omg yes alana! she honestly did so well

[@Averys.shortss]

ALANA YESSSSSSSS! LOVE HERRRRRRR❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@stateofgrace4]

alana is such a honest down to earth person

[@greta-]

this is absolutley amazing! great job Alana.

[@rainiminiatures2184]

she's so precious. thank you for the important reminders

[@papapaige]

Girllll Alana is that girl!!!! I had no idea she was doing TED talks as well! You go girl!

[@emiliaisbad]

i was like..wait that name sounds familiar CAUSE I HAD TO DO RESEARCH FOR SCHOOL. this is awesome, i love her

[@LealaLuvy-mb8mb]

ALANA HOW ARE YOU SO GOOD AT PUBLIC SPEAKING I COULD NEVER 😭😭🙈

[@punarviimmandi8480]

I have been her fan for a long time and she is my inspiration and role model. Love you Alana and will always support your hard work and effort you put into every detail. Nailed it and keep slaying. ❤

[@DiaryofEndeavorita]

BABE ALANA ON TED TALKS!! Lessssgooooo

[@pearlycherubs]

WHEN I SAW ALANA I SCREAMED I LOVE HER SO FREAKING MUCHHHH

[@straw_bzz]

I’ve never expected Alana to be on a Ted talk, but this was really good! good job Alana!!

[@thatprettyprincess]

As someone who has recently been questioning my excessive use of social media, this was helpful

[@minjisattention]

ALANAAAAA im so proud of her this is so good

[@zachdirects]

Have been online too much lol. This hits home.

[@omg.itscloudss.]

alana is amazing for this one. you can tell how long she took thinking about this. i love her for this. i used to just spend time during the pandemic on my phone all day. but if that happened again , i would beg to be outside.this shows how social media is just trying to get people to buy products or support the company. thank you, alana.

[@violetswirls]

its cool to see someone my age on a stage discussing this topic. on to my thoughts on her message, i think we're gradually becoming more lonely as a generation bc of the content we consume online. however, with her solutions such as asking yourself questions about intent and being mindful about how much time you're spending online, can truly change lives. if you're gonna use social media, use it for good! i like sending memes to my friends or saving some to show my bf the next time i see him, whatever the case may be. being exposed to every terror of this world alongside cute wholesome content is a recipe for mental unrest, it's good to take space away from it while doing what you can. you can't solve every problem but groups of people sure can make a monumental effort.

[@Neoncaffine9915]

This speech hit hard. Thank you for making this!!!

[@bilge4520]

Im genuinely so proud of her

[@InFideScientiam]

Very informative and thought provoking presentation! 😮

[@taylorgood1821]

I am sooo proud of you, Alana!!!! Excellent speech!!

[@prod.maddie]

ALANAAAA???!!!!!!!!! how did this just barely get recommended to me??? so proud of her omg 🥹

[@gabiixpiscesendanimalcruel5125]

OKAY WOW ALANA omg im so proud of her and shes so right i lowkey wish social media never existed

[@ezekielm1159]

Now I understand why she started college at 14

[@emiii_ssppams]

i did not know that alana went on ted talks but i love this message. alana is so amazing there are so many people that need to hear this.

[@Thewatcher87970]

I love Alana Linato she's so smart and pretty from the inside and out.

[@kyliehoornaert8532]

Im so proud of you Alana

[@bradlie.plays.roblox]

Finally glad this is up!!! We’re so proud of u Alana! 🫶🏼

[@sydneypadgett4606]

This video is so sad but so true! It is very important that we use our devices for good and for less time. Its really scary thinking how much it affects our lives. I love Alana Lintao so much to 💕

[@yasination1573]

alana is one of my fav ytbers agghhhh its great shes speaking about this shes so brave

[@quiffy_mar]

So, so well said. Very important message.

[@zibarobbins5678]

so so SO INCREDIBLE ALANA!! this is why i am subscribed ❤❤

[@josephine.888]

Alana is so cool, I am a big fan of hers and I am in my 30's , Nice work Alana!

[@SofiaNaser]

i love alana so much im so proud of her. shes my role model

[@hiitsmeguyssss]

OMG I LOVE ALANAS TIKTOK AND CHANNEL AND I DID NOT EXPECT HER TO GIVE SUCH AN INCREDIBLE TED TALK