High school students might notice that their peers are less social than they have been, and most are wondering what has caused this. In situations where people used to make conversation and get to know each other, they now turn to their phones to avoid confrontation.
Social anxiety has been a prevalent issue for teens for a long time. During adolescence, as students develop mentally and physically, they frequently become anxious around others, as well as worrying about other factors like grades, sports, appearance and other social pressures. Though anxiety has always been a factor in adolescence, with the rise of social media, anxiety is becoming more common.
Senior Beckett Moon is among the many who have noted this phenomenon.
“It’s [social media has] created a space where people can go and be social online, which has kind of removed the need for outgoingness and extroversion in real life,” said Moon.
The new generation of online teenagers takes advantage of the multiple uses of social media, which makes people wonder how we lived without it in the past.
More than just teenagers enjoy social media, however. Spanish teacher Marta Grabowski uses social media to get news conveniently.
“I like it [social media] because I get to see what’s going on in the world,” said Grabowski. “I use it as sort of my primary news source: I go on Twitter in the morning to see what’s going on. I also feel like I learn a lot on TikTok about current events and what’s going on in the world,” said Grabowski.
While Grabowski appreciates this aspect of social media, she also believes that online media has dark sides.
“I think social media influences kids’ abilities to think for themselves. It creates less of a need for students to critically think,” said Grabowski. “I don’t think a lot of people could survive without a phone. Their phones are integral to their lives.”
Social media affects not only social interactions, but also mental health.
According to the Harvard University website, “Recent studies have noted a significant uptick in depression and suicidal thoughts over the past several years for teens, especially those who spend multiple hours a day using screens, and especially girls.”
“The Anxious Generation,” by Jonathan Haidt, explains that when children have access to technology at a young age, their brains aren’t being developed correctly by playing with other children, which results in heightened levels of anxiety and depression in Gen Z.
Moon has observed similar findings among his peers, explaining that he has seen an uprise in depression and anxiety, which he believes is related to phone usage.
“Some people spend too much time on social media, and there are easy avenues for comparison and obsession that contribute to mental health struggles,” said Moon.
According to Senior Navigator, “When people are socially connected and have stable and supportive relationships, they are more likely to make healthy choices and to have better mental and physical health outcomes. They are also better able to cope with hard times, stress, anxiety, and depression.”
Real-life support systems are essential for well-functioning human beings.
Grabowski explained that when she was a student at Loy Norrix, people couldn’t immediately turn to their phones when they were bored. Instead, they resorted to engaging in conversations with their peers, which isn’t as common in the school environment today.
“I feel like back in the day, we were more social, but I think the pandemic also affected that,” said Grabowski. “When we had group work in class, everyone was doing it and participating, but now I have to force it out of students who would rather have a zero than participate in a group assignment.”
Social media can displace authentic social experiences, creating a lack of social skills in people; especially youth. While there are positive things about social media, such as easy access to world news, students should understand what they are sacrificing by living a life online.