Generation Z, born from 1995 to 2012 and often referred to as iGeneration, has grown up with an abundance of new technology. Just the iPhone for example, has had far reaching impacts on today’s adolescents. In a 2017 survey conducted on 5,000 teens, more than three out of four owned an iPhone. While having a technology savvy generation does seem to present benefits, many are against the changes that the smartphone has brought to our way of life. In recent years, Gen Z has been criticized for its lack of social skills and inability to make meaningful human connections. In one article by the Atlantic, the author even pointed out that smartphones and technology have “destroyed” this new generation. On top of its apparent strain on relationships, the increased use of iPhone in concordance with social media has shown an increase in the risk for depression and ultimately, suicide. Has how we communicate in the digital age really changed for the worse? In addition, how do we approach the concerns that many people, parents especially, face over “screen time”?
A common concern about smartphone usage is how it affects sociability. One side argues that the use of smartphones, social media, and our all too often immersion into our devices is affecting our real world relationships. The amount of time that we spend on our phones, from browsing the web to mindlessly scrolling through Instagram is cutting into the time we spent interacting with the people around us and even causes anxiety. Much of the problem stems from the idea of gaining “social capital”, or the benefit we gain from interacting with others. According to psychologists, there are two ways to do this: either artificially through outlets like Facebook or Instagram where we can be friends with hundreds of near strangers, or true bonding with others in real life. It’s important to note that these “virtual relationships” often cannot provide the amount of emotional support that a “real-life” friend would. One study found that emotional support displayed virtually is about one-sixth as effective as empathy provided in the real world. Therefore, this stance expresses that virtual connections are no substitute for real-life friends.
On the other hand, many argue that Gen Z is simply participating in a new form of communication, just as effective and as fulfilling socially, but drastically different than the world has seen before. One argument for this position is that people are now able to stay connected to friends that they would have drifted apart from later in life. For example, whether we’d like to or not, we now have the option to keep up with high school classmates and have the opportunity to reach out to them in ways that we couldn’t before. More meaningful perhaps is the ability to connect with distant relatives over social media or webchat. In addition, users can interact and share opinions with others through social media, thus increasing their awareness of the world around them. Having the opportunity to interact with people from diverse backgrounds is something previous generations missed out on as adolescents, but something that Gen Z now experiences and benefits from. All of these aspects are in fact contributing to the increased political activism and engagement that Gen Z displays, along with contributing to a culture of greater acceptance in the future.
A recent study has shown that eighth graders who heavily use social media are at 27% of a greater risk for depression than kids their age who use social media less, playing sports or even just doing homework instead. The effects of social media on mental health are hard to ignore, and down the road, we still don’t know what the lasting effects are as Gen Z grows into adulthood. However, is the utilization of technology worth condemning altogether? I believe it’s not, but I also believe there is a healthy balance that should be recognized. It’s unrealistic to expect that a teenager will simply restrict their technology and social media usage on their own, so it’s important that young people have a role model to look up to. For example, meal times with the family should be kept phone-free and focused on personal conversations. These might be pretty big expectations to have, but I fear that the mental health crisis Gen Z is currently facing will only augment as smartphones and social media continue to be focal points in our lives. Low self-esteem, sleep-deprivation, depression and cyberbullying have all been effects of increased social media usage, but when used properly our smartphones can be one of our greatest tools. We can use our phones and social media to rally the world with us in a movement, to increase awareness of important issues, and to keep in touch with loved ones. As a result, I have to disagree with the writer of the Atlantic article, who said that smartphones have destroyed a generation. Generation Z is far from total self-destruction, in fact, there are ways that smartphones and social media can affect change in the world that we never before thought possible.
Sources:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-technology-making-people-less-sociable-1431093491
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/social-media-fuels-a-change-in-generations-with-the-rise-of-gen-z/
Hi Sofia,
I agree that smartphones have allowed people to connect, bring awareness to issues, and ignite change in a rapid and powerful way, however, the effect they have on adolescent mental health makes me question their appropriateness for teenage population. Like you pointed out in your writing, when used properly, smartphones are great, but how likely is it that young people will use them properly?
Connection can be great – loneliness is a risk factor for depression so it could be argued that young people who frequently communicate with their friends may be more socially and emotionally healthy. However, there’s a documented difference in mental health outcomes for kids who engage in social interaction in-person versus those who do so from behind a screen – “kids [in a research study] who spent low amounts of time engaged in in-person social interaction, but high amounts of time on social media, were the most likely to be depressed” (Heid). Contrary to popular belief, the depression and other mental health issues that stem from smartphone use are not exclusively the product of cyberbullying. Nina Langton, a 16-year-old girl who attempted suicide from depression that was in part a product of social media, “was never ‘targeted’ [online]” like her some of her peers (Heid). Rather, Langton misused social media as a way to compare herself to others and lower her self-esteem which fueled the development of an eating disorder and intensified preexisting body image challenges (Heid).
We can’t point fingers at smartphones or social media as the direct causes of mental health challenges among the adolescent population, but an over-connected world where kids are constantly engaging online rather than face-to-face doesn’t help. There is a documented correlation between teenage smartphone use and the prevalence of mental health conditions, and while there is not enough research to determine causation, this trend is definitely something that needs to be further investigated. I don’t think it would be reasonable or possible to truly “limit” teenage smartphone use outside of a classroom setting, however, with trends that raise mental health concerns, it is imperative that adults remain attuned to this population and aware of the risks so they can address issues as they arise. Generation Z is not “destroyed,” but rather vulnerable because of hyper-connectedness.
Source:
http://time.com/4974863/kids-smartphones-depression/
Hello Sofia!
Thank you for sharing and choosing this topic of Generation Z to talk about. Personally, I find the concepts of social media, smartphones and their impact on modern-day adolescents to be something that’s fascinating and relevant to us. With the advent of better and better technology, there has most definitely been a rising trend of social media and digital life in modern society. In fact, according to the United States Health and Human Services department, approximately 73 percent of teens have possession of a smartphone. Of those that do have mobile devices, 94 percent of them browse internet daily and 71 percent of teens have access to more than one social media site. Considering the United States population, these are some astounding statistics of the prevalence of social media, smartphones and digital life in general in our current culture.
I think you did a really great job illustrating the pros and cons of social media as an agent that can both help and cause harm in the modern-day age. Though there has comparatively not been as much research on this subject, there is a definite correlation between social media usage and lower mental health among teens. This correlation, however, may not represent a causation and simply be a result of socially awkward and depressed people accessing social media more frequently than those who aren’t. While the concept of social media makes “socializing” easy and convenient, it does so at the cost of genuineness. People who are on social media a lot often do so at the expense of reduced face to face interactions (as you mentioned) and less experience with the real world. Oftentimes, social media aspects such as cyberbullying and hyper-focus on superficial concepts (ie likes) in turn can lead to lower self-confidence, anxiety, and depression. From personal experience, it’s not uncommon now to go to a party, then awkwardly stand around while browsing your phone trying to think of a good conversation topic.
At the same time, social media has done an incredible job in keeping people from around the world and states connected with each other. With messaging and communicational apps such as Skype, Wechat, snapchat and Google Hangouts, it’s easier than ever to maintain long-term relationships and contact with people you’ve grown close to. What would normally be a “goodbye” for many graduating students (college and high school) has now become a “see you later” as they now have the means to maintain contact through video chat and text messaging. Oftentimes, this long-term contact can even help bring communities together by organizing meeting times where people are able to rendezvous face to face. In addition, modern day “video games” have evolved similarly not only as an entertainment industry but also as a social concept. Games such as League of Legends, Dota, and Overwatch have since incorporated a means for real players to interact with each other both in game and outside of the game. It’s not uncommon for many friends to connect and socialize their love of a game and even voice chat together while playing said game. In fact, there are whole communities and intricate “jargons” built around integrating knowledge and playstyles for individual games.
Sources:
https://www.psycom.net/social-media-teen-mental-health
https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/news/e-updates/february-2016-teens-social-media-use/index.html
http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/09/teens-social-media-technology-2015/pi_2015-04-09_teensandtech_06/
Hi Sofia,
Thanks for sharing this with us. One thing that you pointed out that I find to be particularly interesting is that children who spend a large amount of time on social media and a short amount of time engaging in social interactions are found to be the most depressed group of children. This made me wonder how children who spend large amounts of time on social media AND interacting with others face to face compare.
I remember reading about a study a few years ago that measured the amount of eye contact each age group demonstrated in a conversation. Generation Z demonstrated far and away the least amount of eye contact, and researchers attributed this to the fact that we are so used to looking down at our phones that we have forgotten to look up every once in awhile.
Phone addiction was actually added to the list of mental health disorders a few years ago, citing evidence of depression caused by social media and “too much screen time.” CNN even cited nomophobia (No Mobile Phone Phobia) here (https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/30/health/smartphone-addiction-study/index.html). The same article includes a quiz to test to see if you are, in fact, a part of the 50% of teenagers that claim to be addicted to their phones.
The Pew Research Institute even stated that 94% of smartphone users refused to leave their house without their phone (http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/08/26/chapter-1-always-on-connectivity/).
Cell phone use in itself is not a problem, but anything in excess is. I recently downloaded an app on my phone called “Moment” that tracks the number of times that I pick up my phone in a day, the amount of time I spend on my phone, and how much sleep I get… and the results have been horrifying. Because of this, I have been working harder to put my phone down and enjoy my surroundings.
fuck you stupid ho