12-year-old programming prodigy creates new family-friendly social media platform

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — At just 12 years old, Nephi Balinski is already doing what many adults only dream of: building a new social media platform to make a difference – and it’s all through the power of programming.

“I started learning coding when I was like about seven or eight,” Nephi said.

He said he stumbled across programming while browsing through the internet. He started to teach programming himself through online classes offered at Khan Academy, an online educational resource. From then on, he fell in love.

“I loved how creative I could be with it,” Nephi said.

He also told ABC4 that he’s constantly brimming with new ideas and that the biggest draw of programming was that he could bring those ideas to life.

One of the ideas that he and his father had together was Lifey.org. A fresh platform that allows people to share life tips.

The platform allows users to upload video tips on careers, colleges, dating, and more — so that before people plunge into a major life decision, they can make sure their choices are well-informed. 

“We’re creating this resource that other people can have resources to be able to learn about different cultures, careers, and to help make informed life decisions,” Nephi said.

He also touted that a key aspect of this website is how family-friendly it is.

“All the videos in Lifey are approved and safe, and we have very high standards,” Nephi said.

This is a father-son duo’s passion project. The father is the CEO of this small family startup, overseeing big picture operations, while the son is the CTO (Chief Technology Officer), grinding the nuts and bolts to keep everything running.

Nephi told us that for the past year, he has been spending about four to five hours on this project, writing new code and fixing bugs. What could come across as grueling for some, Nephi manages to find it fun.

“I get to really exercise my brain,” Nephi said. 

“I haven’t seen that kind of work ethic and that focus in many people,” Nephi’s father, Alex Balinski, said about his experience of working with Nephi.

He said that he’s seen Nephi spend several hours bolted to the desk, eyes glued to the screen.

“We’ve just been so blessed to have Nephi as a son, and I just know he’s going to do great things,” Alex said.

The father and son have big dreams for Lifey. Currently, they said they have about 4,000 uploaders and 28,000 videos. They’re aiming for millions.

Nephi faces a bright future ahead. He said that he wants to keep programming and potentially attend BYU.

“I’m excited to see the impact he’ll have,” Alex said.