Scroll. Swipe. Repeat. Understanding Life in an Always Online World
Hafsah Felgouma
Young people today are growing up in a world unlike any generation before them.
Friendships happen through group chats. Entertainment arrives in endless streams. Trends appear and disappear overnight. Social media is no longer something young people visit. For many, it has become the environment they live within.
But with constant connection comes new challenges.
This month, our community hosted “Scroll, Swipe, Repeat: The Reality of Being Always Online”, an interactive youth session exploring social media, digital habits, online pressure, and what it means to create healthier relationships with technology.
Led by Yasin Bagci, the session opened space for honest conversation without judgement, fear, or lectures. Instead, participants were invited to reflect, question, and better understand the digital world they move through every day.
Meet the Speaker
What happens when a scientist, a TAFE Head Teacher, and a Registered Counsellor all become the same person?
You get Yasin Bagci.
Bringing together experience across education, counselling, and research, Yasin’s work focuses on helping people understand behaviour, wellbeing, and the realities young people face today.
Alongside his work in education and counselling, Yasin also serves as a committee member of the Human Research Ethics Committee at the University of Notre Dame Australia, contributing to ethical oversight and helping ensure research involving people is conducted responsibly and respectfully. Human Research Ethics Committees play an important role in protecting participants and promoting ethical practice in research.
His combination of scientific understanding and practical experience working with people made this session especially relevant for young audiences navigating digital life.
More Than Screen Time
The session explored an important question:
When does being online stop feeling like connection and start becoming something that controls our attention?
Participants unpacked the current digital landscape and reflected on how young people engage online today.
Topics included:
• What internet and social media addiction is, and what it is not
• Patterns and trends in digital behaviour among young people
• The psychological, academic, and physical impacts of problematic use
• Why unhealthy habits can develop and what protective factors can help
• How platforms and algorithms are designed to keep people engaged
• Differences across platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and others
• Practical reflection activities to strengthen awareness and critical thinking
• Strategies for healthier digital habits and balanced use
Rather than focusing on fear or blame, the session encouraged participants to become more conscious users of technology.
Why Conversations Like This Matter
Today’s young people are growing up in an environment of constant comparison, endless content, and very little time offline.
Notifications compete for attention. Algorithms influence what people see. Online identity can shape confidence, relationships, and wellbeing.
Creating spaces where young people can talk openly about these experiences matters.
Sessions like this remind young people that balance is possible. That being digitally connected does not mean being permanently available. That awareness can lead to healthier choices.
Most importantly, they create opportunities for young people to think critically about how they use technology instead of allowing technology to shape them by default.
Taking Back Control
The goal was never to tell participants to delete their phones or disconnect from the world.
It was something more practical.
To help young people recognise patterns, understand influence, and build habits that support wellbeing while still enjoying the benefits of being online.
No lectures.
No judgement.
Just real conversations about what it means to grow up in a world that never logs off.
