Gen Z is the first generation to be raised in the rapidly developing online world. With the internet at their fingertips, many have developed unhealthy habits using social media apps like X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, and more.
Social media apps can become almost addictive, according to Christine Stabler, the Medical Director of Women’s Health for Lancaster General Health. Since people won’t know what content an app may have until they open it, the sudden, rapid influx of content creates a feeling of reward by releasing dopamine. The rush of dopamine encourages people to keep scrolling through, feeding into the addictive nature of social media, according to Stabler.
Problems may also arise when people feel disappointed or invalidated when their content doesn’t get the feedback they desire, according to Stabler. Combined with feelings of disappointment when comparing their content like photos to others’, social media can cause low self-esteem, distractions, and even feelings of depression or anxiety.
In an experiment by the University of Pennsylvania, research participants who were told to stop using social media for three weeks had a drastic reduction in depression and anxiety. They also found that participants had a reduced fear of missing out (FOMO).
FOMO is another reason why people can be so attached to social media, according to Stabler. People may worry about missing a message, inside joke, or information that connects them to their peers. However, constant checking and scrolling can lead to procrastination, reduced retention of information, and higher levels of stress, which can have a detrimental effect on schoolwork. People may also feel loneliness, exclusion, or anxiety when they see other people having fun without them.
Recently, 22% of 10th-grade girls were found to spend seven or more hours a day on social media, meaning teenage girls spend less time sleeping or going to school, according to psychologist Jean Twenge in her new book “Generations.” Between 2010-21, the percentage of students in 10th and 12th grade who slept seven or fewer hours each night increased from one-third to nearly one-half. Twenge attributed this to rising screen time usage.
As technology becomes more integrated in people’s lives, it is more important than ever to use technology and social media in a responsible and healthy manner. Social media has allowed people from all over the world to connect to each other by sharing culture, art, knowledge, history, and so much more across geographic, political, and cultural borders. People should use it as a way of sharing and communication instead of mindlessly scrolling out of boredom or other superficial reasons.