At this year’s Global Gross National Happiness (GNH) Forum, speaker Sangay Bidha delivered a compelling reminder to young people navigating an increasingly digital world: technology should enhance life, not eclipse it.
Addressing an audience of policymakers, educators, and youth representatives, Bidha acknowledged the indispensable role technology now plays in education, communication, and creative expression. But she cautioned that its benefits come with growing risks—particularly to mental health. Citing a World Health Organization report on the rising psychological toll of excessive social media use, she urged young people to reflect on how digital habits shape their emotional well-being.
“True happiness isn’t something you collect through likes or comments,” she said. “It’s something you experience through the way you live, connect, and grow.”
Bidha emphasized that technology itself is neutral—a tool defined by its use rather than its existence. She pointed to the increasing number of Bhutanese digital creators producing uplifting, culturally rooted content as examples of technology being used to strengthen, rather than weaken, community values.
Her message was closely tied to Bhutan’s GNH philosophy, which places holistic well-being above material progress. Bidha argued that mindful engagement with technology aligns naturally with GNH’s core principles, helping to preserve meaningful human relationships while still embracing innovation.
She encouraged young people to take charge of their digital choices: to create rather than merely consume, to use online platforms to enrich real life rather than escape from it, and to be intentional about the connections they nurture offline.
As the forum concluded, Bidha’s appeal resonated as both a warning and an invitation—one that calls on youth to meet the digital age with awareness, balance, and a renewed commitment to genuine human connection.
