By: Kynch Lynn A. Gonzales
(Published in its print edition on August 23 – 29, 2025)
Before the Linggo ng Kabataan celebration ends, I want to talk about something that falls under SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)
In today’s digital age, many young people find it easier to confide in AI than in other humans. While it offers a space to be heard without judgment, it also raises questions: are we drifting further away from the connections that truly sustain us?
Most people use Artificial Intelligence to make everyday life easier—organizing tasks, writing, or solving problems. But for others, it has become more than just a tool. It has become a listener. Some youths open up their feelings to it, seek advice, and even look for comfort to its responses. This shows how much we long for a place where we can be honest without fear, yet it also reveals the silence many of us keep in our real communities.
Mental health remains an essential pillar of our well-being. While technology can be a tool, it can never replace the warmth of genuine interaction and human relations nor the depth of genuine compassion. To my fellow youths, let’s embrace innovation, but let’s also work on creating safe spaces where we can talk to each other, not just to machines. Because at the end of the day, no algorithm can replace the healing that comes from human understanding and care.
And while it’s still early, let’s not forget to live beyond the screen. Go outside, play with your friends, share stories with your classmates, and spend time with your family. These little moments of connection matter more than we realize—they are the real medicine for the soul.
We, the youth, are the mirrors in which children learn to see themselves. They look at what we do, and they learn from the way we live. If we show them a life that depends only on screens and machines, they will believe that disconnection is the norm. But if we show them balance, embracing technology while keeping human connections—they will grow up valuing both progress and relationships.
