I’m Gen Z. Here’s how I’m escaping my phone this summer.

It’s 10 p.m. and I have been scrolling for a half-hour on TikTok. I scroll by commentary on Taylor Swift’s outfits from the Eras tour. Then a passionate critique of the Met gala. Scroll. A Greek salad recipe — save it to make later. Scroll. Footage of the protests about the war in Gaza, at my alma mater, Emory University. The comments are a barrage of emphatic agreement or repulsed dissent. 

A text comes in, a group chat from friends about the weekend’s plan to visit an art market. I...