I truly believe in the statement that ‘technology has ruined this generation.’ Generation Z’s intellectual energy has gone down the drain because of the likes of YouTube and Instagram. Like every new decade, this past one has its quirks.

If this pandemic had occurred in a time where FaceTime wasn’t of existence then it would be more painful. Thankfully, we can still share special moments with our friends, extended family and relatives through zoom, messaging, and any other miscellaneous apps you are content with using. 

The 2010s decade familiarized us to the world of social media more than ever before. The main purposes of platforms such as Instagram and Tik Tok were to become more social with others online in a way it has never been explored before. It was meant to be harmless and a silly way for tweens and teens to explore the interests and lifestyles of others. However, things have officially gotten out of control. 

This generation is fixated with internet popularity.  It’s all about capturing the right selfies in the best lighting from the right angles. What happened to just taking a picture of yourself to mark a special moment for memory? Nowadays posting a picture of yourself is a part of many people’s daily routine, and it’s not healthy. I watched my friend one day check every hour to see  how many likes she gained on an Instagram. This brings me to another problem with platforms similar to Instagram, The followers. 

There is nothing more that boosts your self esteem than for someone you know or a random person to like your photo. The ridiculousness of the fascination over “internet celebrities” is prevalent and we depend on social media to fill the hours of our day. We require the attention of others. More importantly, is that the brain has a neurotransmitter called dopamine which is a reward system. The more followers we get, the more dopamine we receive. It fosters an unhealthy addiction that could be emotionally taxing if we don’t receive what we want. Unfortunately, that is what most of our days consist of feeding our urge. Just typing off away in the comment section to reply to our “compliments.” 

A common phrase teenagers use against millennials and people before their time is, ‘facebook is for old people.’ The fact of the matter is Facebook premiered back in 2006, and is commonly known for having a user base of humans of an older age. But as I perused through my mother’s Facebook (Yes, I used her Facebook) I retained a much simpler, yet enjoyable takeaway. Most people on this platform post pictures of themselves with family and friends. They post about food, and special celebrations. This is the primary purpose and what most social media should look like. It’s major intent is to spread love and kindness to loved ones and family friends. It’s a way to connect to people you haven’t seen in ages and write messages that release positive friendly energy especially during this difficult time. 

No matter how you get your fix think about the effect it’s having on you. If you still feel all alone after floating in a sea of compliments perhaps get with the old and go on Facebook.