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MANSFIELD — Lexington High School senior Katya Prykhodko surprised the audience when she stepped up to the microphone at a Kaleidoscope event in May.
Her question to author Sarah Brokaw was about building community as part of Gen Z.
“I just wanted to see if she could gear a question towards a wider audience and towards my classmates that had come to that Kaleidoscope with me,” Prykhodko said.
That moment of courage brought Prykhodko to the Better Together podcast, where she shared her perspective on navigating life after COVID, stepping away from social media and reimagining what it means to create “the village” for her generation.
Eyes open to seeing Mansfield’s potential
Prykhodko said volunteering and attending community events have opened her eyes to the potential of her hometown.
“It made me want to branch out and go into the community, especially going to that Kaleidoscope event,” she said.
“Going to Lexington, I’m not as connected with the Mansfield folks, which is where I live, and I really wish I was a little more connected to downtown Mansfield. I think Mansfield has a lot of potential.”
She sees charm in the city’s history — and in its future.
“You can’t help but notice the old brick and like there’s just such a charm to it underneath … I think that it just takes a community to bring out the beauty in the town,” she said.
Experiencing life after COVID
For Prykhodko, the pandemic wasn’t just a public health crisis. It was a turning point for her peers’ social development.
“I think it was just a lost time of growth, this vital time period where you start to learn more about yourself and more about your friends and more about your boundaries,” she said.
For Prykhodko, however, the pause offered clarity.
“I used to always ride my bike in my neighborhood and go on walks or talk to my mom … It was such a time where I just thought about things, just anything,” she said. “Becoming my own best friend and being happy about that.”
Making the choice not to use social media
One of the most surprising things about Prykhodko’s story is her decision to avoid social media.
“I’ve just never wanted it. My parents don’t care if I have it or not. They really don’t, but I honestly don’t know what’s kept me off of it,” she said. “I genuinely do not feel like I’m missing anything.”
She explained that while many of her classmates struggle with constant Snapchatting or TikTok use, she finds value in in-person connection.
“When you literally cannot go 45 minutes of a class period without looking at it, that’s what addiction looks like,” she said. “And it’s so normalized now.”
Instead, Prykhodko focuses on asking questions and getting to know people.
“I love to talk to my classmates, to my teachers even, because sometimes they haven’t even had a conversation in a long time about something that they’re passionate about and I think it’s really cool to just literally get them talking,” she said. “Tell me something about your family, tell me something you’re excited about … that’s how you find those people.”
Generations learn from each other
Prykhodko said she hopes older generations will encourage and support young people instead of leaning on stereotypes.
“Our generation knows that people look down on us, and I think we as a generation get down about that and discouraged,” she said. “The responsibility of the older and wiser generations is to encourage that growth, to encourage people to find their successes.”
The Village Voices
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