As a 22-year-old woman, I have observed both the best and worst parts of being a Gen Z. I take pride in the fact that my generation overall consists of many open-minded and innovative people. However, I also can’t help but notice the challenges that many of them struggle with and wonder what led us, as a collective, to become so lonely. According to The Cigna Group, 79% of young adults from the ages of 18 to 24 report feeling lonely. This is an alarming rate in comparison to the 41% of seniors who are 66 and older. To ameliorate this loneliness epidemic that Gen Z is faced with, we must dig deeper and uncover the roots of its origin.
Poor mental health
According to a survey done by the American Psychological Association, Gen Z reportedly has the worst mental health in comparison to all of the generations preceding them. A person’s mental health affects every aspect of their life and directly influences how they interact and socialize with others. Many young adults struggle with anxiety and depression which makes finding and maintaining genuine connections in real life significantly more challenging. As a result, socializing online now seems like the better option for many young people and has led to a dependency shift to social media to meet basic human inclusion needs for love and belonging.
Social media
The growth of social media has led to the unraveling of society’s baseline social structures. Now more than ever, people are either unwilling or unable to socialize in a traditional sense. This has caused silent barriers to form around individuals, preventing them from interacting with one other in common public settings.
Furthermore, social media is notorious for creating a false sense of reality and unrealistic expectations. It also encourages users to project and curate an ideal image of themselves that is false and impossible for others to genuinely connect with. As a result, many people now have a distorted view of themselves, the real world and what it means to truly be living. This has caused a great disconnect that many Gen Z universally experience and struggle with on a daily basis.
When Gen Z social media users inevitably compares their real lives with the fabricated ones that they see influencers or celebrities project online, they are often left with feelings of inadequacy or shame. Their personal achievements which should be celebrated suddenly become meaningless and not as exciting. As a result, this makes many teens and young adults feel like they are not good enough which can encourage them to isolate themselves and exhibit reclusive behavior.
Social media also creates an environment that normalizes parasocial relationships between regular people and celebrities/online influencers. In other words, platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Twitter give users intimate glimpses into celebrities’ personal lives which can then create a false impression of a close relationship between themselves and the celebrities’ online personas. This results in an imbalance where people are driven to want to connect with social media personalities more than the people that they see in real life.
Overstimulation and overconsumption
Overstimulation is a huge problem that Gen Z struggles with and it’s especially evident in the social media algorithms that push it on popular platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. And in turn, it encourages overconsumption on the internet and causes the minds of young people to be plagued with entertainment that is often meaningless and empty in value. With new, flashy content being constantly shoved in their faces, Gen Z find it nearly impossible to break away from the doom scroll cycles and endless media loops. Overstimulation and overconsumption work hand in hand to sedate people’s minds, make them addicted to chasing short term dopamine hits and prevent them from searching for authentic connections that only exist beyond their screen.
The state of the world/stresses of daily life
Young adults are faced with the brutal reality of the current state of the world. With an alarming rate of inflation, a prevalent housing crisis, rent becoming increasingly unaffordable and an economy that is still recovering from the aftermath of a global pandemic, it’s inevitable for them to be stressed about money. Unlike most Millennials or Gen X who already have money saved, Gen Z is often finding themselves struggling to survive paycheck to paycheck by working grueling hours at jobs that are already stressful enough. This leaves them with little time or energy left to spend socializing and actually having a life outside of work.
When basic needs like food, clothing and shelter are barely able to be met, it is nearly impossible for people to be able to focus on anything else. This is evident in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a five-tier pyramid model that theorizes and lists the importance of both deficiency needs and growth needs in order of necessity in a person’s life. At the base of the pyramid are physiological needs such as air, water, food, shelter, sleep, clothing and reproduction. Right above it lie safety needs which consist of personal security, employment, resources, health and property. Many young adults are currently struggling to cover the first two bases, which often leaves their needs for love and belonging, esteem and self-actualization severely neglected. It’s no wonder why Gen Z is so lonely considering the state of the world making it nearly impossible for them to simply survive, let alone cultivate an active social life.
How Gen Z can find connection again
In conclusion, here are some actions that we, as a collective, can take to heal and find connection.
- Take a break from social media
- Practice mindfulness and be intentional with your in-person relationships
- Rewire your brain to seek more productive dopamine hits from hobbies instead of your phone
- Spend time reading to sharpen your ability to focus
- Reflect on your life by writing your thoughts and feelings in a journal
- Give yourself needed rest
- Go to therapy if possible (either in-person or remote)
Despite the many challenges that loom in the face of Gen Z, we are a very resourceful and innovative generation. Therefore, I have confidence that we can be proactive and take the steps necessary to combat this loneliness epidemic, find mental and emotional healing and take control of our lives for the sake of our own happiness and well-being.
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