By Julie Lee '25
Is our generation getting more depressed?
She’s so skinny, look at her legs... She went on another vacation? When was the last time I had a break? Her outfit’s cute, wish I had the time to go shopping... She’s got so many likes ... Why are they always hanging out? Don’t they have classes to attend?
You’ve just experienced an inner monologue of a daily social media user. It’s nothing new as we all go through it every single day. These are just thoughts and comments we make as we double tap, right?
Looking around, everyone at school seems to be worn out. From feeling depressed to dealing with anxiety, fighting eating disorders and seeking ways to manage our personal stress. Why are Gen Zs the target of all these problems? Is our generation really depressed? The definition of ‘mental health’ is broad and ranges from a diagnosed health condition to influenced mental health.
While Gen Zs encountered many of the same stressors as generations before, it’s possible that we experience a more intense version, especially given the myriad of social media outlets. With Gen Zs living in a more developed society compared to the millennials, the term “screenagers” really has its meaning. We’re not addicted, but we consider it a routine. We wake up, check our phones, go on with our days and check our phones again.
Last month, MIT’s Sloan Management Review did a clever experiment where professors at two business schools made giving up one's smartphone for a day a requirement for their courses. Most of the students, who could plan what day they’d give up their phones, felt some degree of anxiety.
Research from Forbes, 98% Gen Zs own smartphones and average over 4 hours daily on socials. The more time we spend on social media, the more we damage our mental health. As if it were a coincidence, stuck in quarantine because of Covid has spread depression just like how it spread the virus. We find ourselves using digital spaces to overcome loneliness, show vulnerability, and share humor. to reality. That’s what social media is. Showing the best highlights of our lives.
Gen Zs are the first generation to experience the true digital natives. What it’s like to interact with people from all over the world and trade information. However, the scrolls not only give us information, but gives us the reality we don’t have. All these people living better lives, showing off all the luxuries shifts our attention to what we’re lacking.
I don’t know about you but... I think it’s time to BeReal.
Senior Editor: Sophia Gong '26
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