Meet Pietro Lanzi: Quitting Social Media

Off the Grid, On the Gas: What One Teen Learned by Logging Off and quitting social media

In Milan, where scooters buzz and café chatter fills the streets, 17-year-old Pietro Lanzi is choosing a different kind of speed—one that doesn’t involve scrolling.

Pietro is your typical teen in many ways: passionate about DUCATI motorbikes, always wearing his signature red cap, and curious about the world. But recently, he made a radical decision—he quit social media and gaming completely. And he did it with full awareness and intention.

Like most teens, Pietro once spent hours after school gaming and browsing. “At least with gaming, I used my brain,” he said. Social media, on the other hand, felt like a mental wasteland—an endless stream of content that left him feeling drained and disconnected.

The real wake-up call came during a six-month internship in Germany, in a new place not knowing anyone, the experience opened his eyes. “Everyone was on their phones. I wasn’t part of their digital circles, so I wasn’t really part of their lives,” he shared. Despite being surrounded by peers, he felt alone.

So Pietro made a bold move: he quit—cold turkey. No more gaming, no more social media. The time he reclaimed became an opportunity to learn, explore, and reconnect—with real life.

Surprisingly, what helped fill that space was ChatGPT. “It changed my life,” he said. “Humans inherit knowledge from the past. For me, ChatGPT was like access to all of it—instantly. It gave me the chance to jump ahead.” Instead of scrolling reels, Pietro began diving into automation projects and asking bigger questions about the world.

He’s not naive about privacy. “They had my data before I was born,” he said matter-of-factly. “They had my parents data, knew who my cousins were, where I lived, you name it. I just choose what I give my attention to now and I am very aware of my digital footprint”.

As parents, we often wonder what’s happening in the minds of our teens when they’re glued to their screens. Pietro’s story offers rare insight: they know more than we think. And some, like him, are making conscious choices to step away in search of something deeper.

Pietro didn’t just log off—he tuned in. And he’s more alive and happy now because of it.

Find Pietro on LinkedIn

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