Social Media pressure on Gen Z may cause mental agony; Inside story here

Gen Z refers to: generation Z (people who were born between 1997and 2012), the first generation to be born and raised with social media as an integral part of their lives.

New Delhi: Social media is designed in a way to get maximum engagement, which leads to increased screen time. The nature of reels to designed to give instant happiness and an element of surprise, which forces us to scroll, to know what next or next would be better. Small breaks turn into 1 hours or more. 

Always on digital world (Digital overload) impact

• Social media pressure: Early exposure to the internet increases pressure to have a perfect life, as shown on social media. Seeing content, which is selected by the creator, is mostly unrealistic, more filtered result in Increased expectation and a feeling that they are not good enough; they have insecurity, low self-esteem, and anxiety. 

• Constant information: There is no switch off, never-ending information, and constant digital engagement leads to digital fatigue. 

• Cyberbullying: The Internet also has large grounds of cyberbullying, which can have a major impact on the mental health of these youth because this generation also has teenagers who often don't know what steps to take against cyberbullying.

 School and Career Pressure

• High Expectations: Gen Z faces immense pressure to excel academically, to get into the best college for quality of education and exposure to the best jobs. In this competitive environment, participation in extracurricular activities makes an add-on for stress and anxiety.
• The stubborn unemployment: They are in a world with extreme competition and fewer jobs increase in short-term contracts, Clues to financial instability.
  

  Social media has infected even groups (Source: Internet)

How to overcome this: small but impactful steps 

Give a reason to yourself: Before using applications like Instagram, YouTube, etc. Ask yourself questions like the reason why I am opening this app currently. Decide your purpose, even if you are using it for entertainment purposes,to  prevent mindless scrolling.

Organize your feed: Unfollow or mute the account that makes you feel jealous, angry, or anxious.

Remember Filters Aren't Reality: People generally post best movements, continues with filters/editing. It is necessary to know reality so keep real expectations know the difference about reel and reality.

Set time: Take control over time, set limits, Schedule "Social Media Free" Times, create "No Phone Zones.

In India, there is an increased awareness about mental health, but stigma around mental health still exists, making it difficult for many to get professional help due to fears of being judged or because therapy can be expensive and not covered by insurance. However, there's also a growing trend among Indian Gen Z to prioritize their mental health and seek support.