The Last Inch: When Screens No Longer Satisfy and the Uprising for Connection

By Summer Goralik

This article was originally published by Rob Hahn on Notorious ROB on July 24, 2025 which can be read here.

Photo: Exhibit A in my case against screen time

The following is based on true events.

Remember those 3D puzzle art posters that were really popular? You’d stare at them, eyes slightly unfocused, and if you held your gaze long enough, an image would finally emerge. A dinosaur. A spaceship. A hidden world in plain sight.

That’s what happened to me, except it’s 2025 and there’s not a ’90s poster in sight.

I’d been staring at the same digital picture made up of smartphones, computers, AI, and automation. I know the powerful messages they send about advancement, efficiency, and connection, along with the sometimes scary warnings about what we might lose if we depend on them too much. But then I looked a little longer, and a whole different image came into view.

Before I explain, let’s start with last Thursday.

I was sitting in the doctor’s office with my dad. A routine visit, with the hope that there was nothing too dramatic to uncover. But somewhere between the usual litany of questions and small talk, his doctor said something that kind of blew my hair back:

“The biggest drug of our generation?” he said. “It’s the phone. Not just for kids—everyone.”

Obviously he was referring to smartphones and social media. And while it wasn’t exactly news, the comment hit me like a gut punch. Maybe because it exposed a personal insecurity with clinical precision, and a broader concern I carry for all of us.

Many parents wrestle with this. Keeping our kids off devices, limiting screen time. (That struggle is real.)

It’s also why this question doesn’t sit well with many these days:

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

Because if the answer is “I reach for my phone” within the first few minutes of waking, then yeah, we’ve got a problem.

How’s everyone feeling so far (twenty seconds into this article)?

The reality is, we’ve accepted that the internet, smartphones, and social media are simply part of life now. They both offer and represent convenience and progress. Those are the shiny words. But it’s the less pretty ones—dependence, addiction—that tend to leave an impression (or a real dent) that won’t go away. And then there’s something quieter, but just as corrosive. It’s the erosion of patience, rewired by the speed of digital media.

Again, none of this is entirely new. It’s not some groundbreaking epiphany. Personally, I think about it often.

When I zoom out and point the lens toward my work in compliance and the real estate industry, I see the same digital blur. It’s filled with nonstop talk about AI evolution and industry disruption. What it can do. What it’s learning. How we’ll embrace and use it.

Okay, okay. I know all of that too.

But here’s the idea I haven’t heard as much. The radical image that quietly came into focus. If I’m being honest, the cooler thought that rose to the surface.

Fair warning: real estate isn’t the focal point of this piece. But if you’re nostalgic for humanity, I think what follows is worth contemplating.

The Disconnection We’ve All Felt

You ever just look around and notice that everyone’s on their smartphone, or clutching it like a security blanket?

Let’s be honest. We are wrapped up in screens. We don’t talk to each other like we used to. We may pride ourselves on being constantly connected, but for many of us, that connection feels hollow. And if you tell me I’m wrong, I’ll just say, “Congratulations on all your success.” (It’s my go-to line when people are racking up wins on their life scoreboard.)

We scroll past our loved ones at dinner. We text instead of call. We know what someone had for lunch in Santorini, but not how the person across the table is holding up.

The smartphone isn’t just a tool—it’s an escape. And sometimes, it takes us further from ourselves.

Listen, this isn’t generational. It’s cultural. We’ve confused connection with access. We’ve replaced presence with performance. And somewhere along the way, we let the silence grow louder. But here’s the thing that intrigues me. It wasn’t an idea borne of the ether, but one that revealed itself when I looked a little closer:

What if the next generation doesn’t double down on this behavior?

What if they reject, or even revolt against, the phone, the feed, the scroll, the digital loop?

What if it’s no longer “cool” to connect by device?

What if the ones growing up right now decide to reclaim human connection?

Turns out, that’s not just wishful thinking. As The Guardian recently reported, and to my surprise, this shift may already be underway:

Two-thirds of 16- to 24-year-olds think social media does more harm than good and three-quarters want tougher regulation to protect younger people from it, according to polling for the New Britain Project, a think tank founded by a former teacher, Anna McShane. Half think they spent too much time on it when they were younger, with regret highest among those who started using social media youngest. And most tellingly of all, four in five say they’d keep their own children away from it for as long as they could if they became parents. This isn’t how anyone talks about something they love, but how you look back on a relationship that was in retrospect making you miserable.

That last part really stung. It’s poignant, even tragic. And I think a lot of us feel it, even if we haven’t said it out loud yet.

Rebelling Against the Screen

Let’s talk about human connection, and where it’s gone.

Today, the screen has become our main stage. Thanks to our devices, we can do almost everything from the couch: stream new movies and concerts, order dinner, attend virtual events, even watch sports in cinematic 4K. It’s convenient, frictionless, and always just a click away. And it’s a big reason why Blockbuster disappeared, theaters are quieter, and restaurants are struggling to compete with apps.

Even our shared spaces are different now. Four people can sit in the same room and not speak a word, their faces aglow with content, not conversation.

I think about this a lot. Especially during one recurring debate in our household:Should we go to a Dodgers game?

We weigh the usual pros and cons. Tickets. Traffic. Rowdy crowds. That dreaded parking lot. I’ve left more than one game in the seventh inning just to avoid the post-game gridlock.

But here’s the thing: watching from home is easy, even effortless. But it strips away the heart of it all.

When you skip the experience, you miss the Dodger dogs, the music, the crack of the bat. The on-field energy. The salute to service. The seventh-inning stretch. The spontaneous high-fives with strangers. And yes, the wave still exists, in case you were wondering.

I returned to Dodger Stadium this year after a long hiatus. Partly because my son’s obsessed with baseball, and partly because I’m a little obsessed with Shohei Ohtani.

And let me tell you, we’re having a blast. We’ve already been to three games this season, and we’ll probably go to a few more. With intention, I’m choosing to be there. I’m resisting the glow of the screen and returning to something real.

That’s how the rebellion begins.

Not everyone can make that choice right now, and I know that. Life is complicated. Schedules, budgets, parenting—it’s not always as simple as “just go.”

But I wonder, will the next generation choose presence over convenience?

Resisting the Mask We’ve Come to Wear

When I think about the fight against the smartphone, against digital dependence, I think about the movie, V for Vendetta. In the film, control didn’t come through brute force. It came through fear and distraction. People stopped questioning and simply adapted.

But one man resisted. And others followed, not because he offered something new, but because he reminded them of something they had forgotten.

The film is filled with lines that deliver both punch and poetry, including:

Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth.

And of course:

Beneath this mask, there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask, there is an idea. And ideas are bulletproof.

The parallel I’m drawing isn’t political. It’s digital. In V for Vendetta, the mask was a symbol of purpose, of resistance. Today, too many of us wear a different kind of mask: our screens.

We communicate—and sometimes hide—behind devices, avatars, filters, and polished updates. Over time, the mask becomes familiar, even comfortable. But the more we wear it, the easier it is to forget what’s underneath.

That’s what this quiet rebellion against the screen should feel like: A reminder that we are more than our bios, our captions, our curated smiles. More than a “like.” More than a snappy online comment.

But while some are becoming wise to that truth, others are drifting further from it. We’re relying on AI to write for us, think for us, decide for us. And there’s growing evidence that this dependence is making us slower, less critical, and more passive.

There’s another line in the film, from Valerie, a character whose letter becomes a lifeline and moral compass:

Our integrity sells for so little, but it is all that we really have. It is the very last inch of us. But within that inch, we are free.

What I’m trying to say, ironically, across 2,000 words on the internet, is that inch still matters. It may be the one thing Apple, Meta, or whoever comes next can’t fully control. And quietly, maybe that’s what they fear most.

Imagine if people just woke up one day and didn’t want it anymore. They choose to log off and reengage. With people. With presence. With purpose.

It might sound impossible. Like we’ve gone too far to simply unplug. And honestly, who am I to predict what younger generations might do? I’m still trying to decode why my ten-year-old says “Bet” when I announce pizza, or why teens walk home from school in last night’s pajamas.

But maybe, just maybe, that inch is what I believe will spark a movement, or even an army.

A new generation that says: Not us.

Why This Matters for Real Estate [Cue real estate’s cameo.]

As reported in HousingWire, trust in traditional institutions is eroding, especially among Gen Z and Millennials. Only 33% of respondents said they trust real estate agents to provide reliable advice. Instead, this next generation is turning to AI tools, social media, and peer communities for support. The article notes that “with 35% of all respondents—including 43% of Gen Z—using platforms like ChatGPT for homebuying information, AI is becoming a critical part of the decision-making process.” YouTube has also become the leading educational tool, followed by webinars and podcasts.

It sounds like we’re being replaced. But we’re not. AI might bring buyers to the table, but only emotional beings can close the deal.

Even in a world overflowing with listing portals, virtual tours, and hyper-personalized automation, people still want a real person they can look in the eye—someone they can trust, relate to, and rely on. That’s the lifeline for real estate professionals.

Buying or selling a home isn’t just a transaction. It’s emotional. Complex. Personal. And no matter how advanced the technology becomes, it still can’t replace the in-person, emotionally present advisor: the one who listens, explains, adapts, and calms.

Consumers want speed and convenience, yes. But they also want someone who understands their needs. The “why” behind the documents and decisions. The “how” behind the execution.

Of course, there’s competition here too, just like in life. Not everyone is equipped with empathy or emotional intelligence, or the kind of presence that puts people at ease. Not everyone is a natural communicator or wordsmith.

So while the industry chases optimization, there’s an incredible opportunity here.The hidden image in the poster. The powerful inch in all of us.

To double down on what can’t be automated. To be present. To become not just the agent of a transaction, but the emotional closer. To be human.

Perhaps connection is the new rebellion.

A Revolution You Can Feel (and Fuel)

The thing about those 3D puzzle posters is that not everyone will be patient or stare long enough to see the real image. And even fewer will wake up, disconnect, and recognize the call to action.

V for Vendetta, one of my favorites by the way, was about an awakening. About remembering what still matters and fighting for it.

So before we reach for our phones, we don’t actually need another app to solve the problem.

We need intention and conviction. And maybe we need to listen when someone says, “Can you put your phone down for a minute and talk to me?” Or, if you’re me, talking to my husband: “Would you get off your phone!”

If there’s going to be an uprising, let it be for connection.

And maybe this article is just me working through my own issues (sorry about that). Better yet, hopefully you're nodding along, recognizing some solid truths here. Maybe it’s a hopeful forecast. Or maybe it’s a prescription.

Let’s be the influence that brings us back to one another. To our kids, our family members, our friends—be the one who says, “Let’s get together.” Let’s connect in person.

And like the falling dominoes in the film, let’s be the force that topples the spell of digital dependence, one intentional act at a time, and the reason the next generation finds the confidence to pull away from the screen. Because if we lead with human connection, maybe they’ll follow with purpose.

Notably, if you’re in the business of helping people make life-changing decisions like buying or selling a home, that ability to truly connect might just be your greatest asset. The value that can’t be substituted with a screen. It’s also your strongest defense against irrelevance in the age of ever-evolving tech.

I once wrote about AI and what might happen if we don't pay attention. But this article isn’t about the rise of the machines. It’s about the rise of humanity, or the return to it. I’m trying to paint a different 3D picture. One that’s more human. And if we can’t do it, I hope the next generation will. Like my ten-year-old, ten years from now.

If I’m wrong, if this hope for reconnection is just a wild theory, then honestly, we all lose. Because if the doctor is right, and the phone really is the drug we should be most concerned about, our fight against it is more urgent than ever. Waking up and realizing that this digital grip comes at the ultimate price may be the most revolutionary task of our time, for us and for the generations that follow.

So if this resonates, if you feel the pull of that quiet revolution, then tomorrow morning, reach for a loved one, not a device.

Be present. After all, that’s what we humans were built for. It’s time to take off the digital mask. That’s the inch we still control—the one that sets us free.

About the Author

Summer Goralik is a Real Estate Compliance Consultant and licensed Real Estate Broker (#02022805). Summer offers real estate brokers a variety of consulting services including assistance with California Department of Real Estate investigations and audit preparation, mock audits, brokerage compliance guidance, advertising review, and training. She helps licensees evaluate their regulatory compliance and correct any non-compliant activities. Summer has an extensive background in real estate which includes private sector, regulatory and law enforcement experience. Prior to opening her consulting business in 2016, she worked for the Orange County District Attorney's Office as a Civilian Economic Crimes Investigator in their Real Estate Fraud Unit. Before that, Summer was employed as a Special Investigator for the DRE for six years. Among many achievements, she wrote several articles for the DRE, four of which were co-authored with former Real Estate Commissioner Wayne Bell. Prior to her career in government and law enforcement, Summer also worked in the escrow industry for nearly five years. For more information about Summer's background and services, please visit her website.