Written by: Shiraz Aslam
Posted on: March 08, 2023 | 
| 中文
Children are addicted to social media
An acquaintance became a sports buddy through “Replied to your story” on Instagram conversations; ‘Snapstreaks’ allow close-knit friend circles to keep in touch with each other’s day-to-day ramblings and ventures. An ocean stood between two life-long confidantes, but social media bridged the communication gap and prevented the friendship from decaying. All our loved ones are now at arm’s length: a few clicks and swipes away. Yet, the evidence shows that the youth is increasingly unhappy and discontented.
According to The World Health Organization (WHO), one in seven 10-19-year-olds experiences a mental health disorder, ranging from emotional disorders, e.g., depression and anxiety, to behavioral disorders, e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Furthermore, a January 2020 BBC article found that 73% of Generation Z (the generation born between 1997-2012) sometimes or always feel alone, and 71% of heavy social media users reported loneliness. As for suicide, it is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds. In the nutshell, the youth, especially Generation Z and Generation Alpha (generation born after early 2010s), are an absolute emotional trainwreck. While far from a causative link, these statistics are consistent with the advent and subsequent takeover of social media.
Social Media has caused loneliness amongst youth
It is a widely documented fact that humans are social animals that evolved to live in groups. In our hierarchy of needs, the unquenchable desire for social belonging is atop the list with food and shelter. The grave injustice these social media tech companies have committed is that they have taken this biological necessity and converted it into a drug.
Like all potent drugs, social media functions by causing the release of dopamine- the “Kim Kardashian” of all chemicals, a reference to its mainstream popularity. Every time you receive a like on your Instagram post or similar positive social stimuli, the reward pathways in your brain are flooded with dopamine.
Impressions are everything on social media
However, the dopamine hike has to drop to maintain a set balance- a process called “homeostasis.” Repetitive use makes the activities less pleasurable with time, and the user needs more consumption to achieve the same “high.” This explains the constant craving for more likes on one’s Instagram post and the countless minutes spent watching “Lahore da pawa Akhtar lava” reels. The brain compensates by bringing the concentration of the neurotransmitter down. But it drops below the ideal baseline level, which is why one feels a pang of sudden guilt upon wasting an hour watching random YouTube videos. Once the user enters a pattern, the pleasure feeling decrease in duration and intensity, while the dopamine-deficit state becomes more vicious.
An illustration by Ari Liloan on the harmful effects of social media
Furthermore, social media operates on a “variable rewards schedule.” In layman’s terms, in the context of Instagram and e-mail, you never know when you will get that Instagram story reply or that e-mail, you’re so desperately waiting for. The unpredictability of when one receives a positive social stimulus in the digital realm drives us to addiction, because we habitually start to use our smartphones in anticipation of a reward.
Social media as a drug becomes even more lethal when one considers the ease of access. With substance abuse, there are age restrictions. That isn’t the case for the anonymous digital world devoid of regulation. Furthermore, upon unrestrained consumption, the user will eventually run out of money. But Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Twitter are going nowhere! In the presence of a “hooked user” and a stable Internet connection, a modern-day necessity, our drug of choice will always be a few clicks away.
Social Media is an illusionary world
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Social media has created a fake reality in which everyone has become an ego-centric child obsessed with validation. In the digital era, everyone is a celebrity with unrivaled beauty and happiness. Anyone, with the glamor of a Kendall Jenner or Ryan Gosling, could land the cover of a Vogue magazine. Through perfectly curated and selected images with countless filters, we’re all skewing our viewers towards an idealized and perfected version of ourselves. By no stretch of imagination are these representations an accurate depiction of our lived reality. Yet, it’s impossible to feel that way when mindlessly scrolling through everyone’s Instagram stories.
In what media psychologists Don Grant calls “compare and despair,” upon bombardment with constant beautiful and idealized imagery, the user experiences a range of negative emotions. These sprout from mild feelings of envy (Why them?) and metamorphosize to consume the individual with sheer inadequacy (I’m not good enough). Constant self-comparison with others, while completely ignoring the blurred lines of fiction and reality, leads to low self-esteem and pure misery.
The pressure to be perfect is immense on social media
There’s a common misconception that social media has “connected” us. Nothing could be further from the truth as we seem more disconnected from our surroundings and reality than ever before. Yes, it’s undoubtedly true that communication gaps across borders have been bridged. However, digital screens have forged an impenetrable boundary wall between individuals. Those lively dinner table conversations and television lounge discussions have been marred by screens glued to adolescents’ faces. Kids simply don’t talk to their parents or close friends anymore. Seeing social media as a substitute for real-life interaction, condolence messages on Instagram have taken the place of a pat on the shoulder. A simple “HBD” on Facebook timelines has undermined the practice of gift-giving and surprise birthday parties. Expectation boundaries have been blurred because the average teenager views their social media contacts as friends, when they are just distant acquaintances. We expect them to be happy for us and provide a shoulder to cry on when it’s not in their informal social contract.
So close yet so far
Social media has created a generation that doesn’t have a meaningful face-to-face interaction, ends friendships and relationships through simple “ghosting” on social media, and consistently seeks validation and draws comparisons. Unfortunately, we don’t know the scale of its impact, because it is still a relatively recent phenomenon. However, without a long-term fix, the dilemma will only worsen, and the youth may be emotionally damaged beyond repair.
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