Social media harm is more elite hypocrisy
September 24, 2024
The high numbers of Generation Zers who report negative effects from social media and who use it for several hours per day are unsurprising.
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt wrote recently for the New York Times on surveys he and his colleagues conducted asking Gen Z adults about their experiences with social media. In the article, he explains that 62% of Gen Zers use social media for four hours or more per day, that the groups reporting negative effects from social media are largely female and LGBT, and that significant shares of Gen Zers wish certain social media platforms did not exist, with Twitter at 50% and TikTok at 47%.
If not surprising, it is interesting that so many hold great regret toward social media while continuing to overuse it. The trend speaks to a general human tendency — we see the same pattern with substance abusers — but involves a digital platform, something less physically gripping than drugs or alcohol. One would think it is at least a little bit easier to quit and remain detached from social media. Nevertheless, negative effects abound, mostly in the form of serious mental illnesses. These harms select specific groups within Gen Z.
