It’s a narrative that has persisted for years. Teenagers are glued to their phones, isolating themselves from the real world, interacting with friends only through texts, Instagram posts, or TikTok comments. But firsthand accounts from today’s teens suggest that this stereotype couldn’t be further from the truth.

Teens are social creatures who absolutely value in person interactions, just as they did in the past. Social media and cell phones haven’t changed the fact that many of their social lives revolve around physical spaces, including schools, extracurricular programs , and local hangouts.

Cambridge High School senior Jia Patel explains, “I definitely snap [Snapchat] my friends a lot. We really like texting in our group chat so we can all communicate at once. We still hang out at

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