Introduction
According to the Office of the Surgeon General of the United States, social isolation, poor social support, and loneliness are associated with 29% increased risk of heart disease and 32% risk of stroke (26). Additionally, Yue Wang, a postdoctoral psychology researcher at the University of Alberta, and Youlai Zeng, an associate professor in the School of Education at Liaoning Normal University define loneliness as a subjective psychological feeling in which individuals lack satisfactory interpersonal relationships due to a gap between their desired social interactions and the actual level (2). Similarly, according to Fitri Norhabiba, a lecturer within the Communication Science department at the Universitas Negeri Surabaya along with other researchers state that their research on Generation Z shows that their feelings of loneliness are not from lack of connection, but instated because many of these connections lack emotional meaning (5641). When people lack companionship, they are less likely to get the physical and mental support they need to better their lives. While these health statistics above are not specific to Generation Z (those born between the years 1997-2012), if Generation Z does not start to form meaningful connections with others, this social isolation will carry into the future and later cause them to become at risk for severe health issues.
A prominent form of connection for Generation Z is through technology. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 95% of 13-17 year olds use social media, with two thirds of teenagers using social media every day. With so many Generation Z on technology platforms such as social media, researchers who study urban social geography in the Centre for Business in Society at Coventry University state that technology use reduces the likeliness of social engagement, as people communicate through text rather than talking (Ferreira et al., 9). Both sources above agree that extensive technology use for communication correlates to weaker face-to-face social connections. Sherry Turkle, a psychology professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, perfectly puts a name to this phenomenon: Connected but Alone. This phenomenon explains how individuals may appear connected online, but emotionally feel lonely and alienated. This detachment stems from the case that Generation Z was born and raised in a digital era (Norhabiba et al., 5638-5639). A study from Gyanvivdha, a peer review academic journal from Bihar, India adds on to Turkle by expressing that Generation Z has higher levels of chronic illness and psychological distress than any preceding generation due to digital interactions (Kumar, 183). Generation Z grows up in a world prone to digital communication, subjecting them to experience the negative mental effects such as loneliness more than past generations. This trend has sparked debate over in-person versus digital connections and their depths, which raises the question: to what extent does reliance on digital communication increase feelings of loneliness among Generation Z? In searching for an answer to this question, it becomes clear that while digital communication has allowed for many new connections to form worldwide, numerous people have begun to lack in-person connections due to technology, which weakens the durability of their interactions with others and creates loneliness, but this amount of loneliness varies based on gender.
Online Connections
Online connections are non-durable because while they may be easy to form, they are difficult to maintain. According to Shalini Misra, an associate professor in Urban Affairs and Planning at Virginia Tech, conversations through technology are brief and rarely further complex ideas and deep feelings (281). Technology is a way for people to escape meaningful conversations as they are not forced to be directly face-to-face with others. Additionally, research on Generation Z states that digital connections do not build meaningful closeness with others; instead they are more often used to avoid loneliness (Norhabiba et al., 5639). Norhabiba and her team build upon Misra as they both conclude that while people still feel the need to connect with others, their interactions on digital platforms are superficial and lack real meaning.
Generation Z wants to appear as a connected group, but technology has made these connections more difficult to maintain than ever. According to Pew Research Center, 78% of teens have digitally disconnected from others due to conflict within social groups and 52% have digitally disconnected due to bullying (Anderson and Jiang, 3). As connections start to form, online platforms make it difficult to keep these connections; Word choices said online greatly differ from those said during face-to-face interactions, causing Generation Z to feel more susceptible to disconnection while online. While Generation Z may not want to partake in online interactions that make them feel emotionally distressed, complete digital disconnection causes loneliness. This loneliness is detrimental because it is associated with health risks as explained above by the Office of the Surgeon General of the United States. Additionally, in a study with 130 Generation Z college students in Indonesia, 53.4% feel that they have shallow or only temporary connections on social media and 51.2% often feel lonely even though active on social media (Norhabiba et al., 5640). Norhabiba agrees and adds on to the authors above by stating that connections lacking depth cause loneliness. Due to online platforms, Generation Z has lost real closeness with the people around them and has minimal knowledge of how authentic connections feel. As numerous Generation Z only connect online, a clear trend in loneliness appears and reflects the lack of depth in these connections. However, this study is limited due to the use of a small sample size only in Indonesia, therefore not providing a generalization for all Generation Z in the world.
In-person Connections
While online connections may not be as durable as in-person connections, they are still a predominant form of interaction for Generation Z. Studies show that 60% teens spend time with their friends online every day or almost every day while 24% spend time with their friends in person, excluding school and school related activities. Also, most Generation Z interact with others online, yet 36% of teens feel that they have too little face-to-face time with their friends (Anderson and Jiang, 13). This lack of face-to-face interactions is caused by the widespread use of technology for interactions and its popularity in which it has grown. This imbalance between online and in-person connections shows that reliance on digital communication has reshaped how more recent generations, such as Generation Z interact with each other, therefore supporting that different generations may feel more isolated than others in terms of connectivity.
Mobile devices have the potential to constrain in-person social interaction and relationships (Misra et al., 281). Both sources agree that mobile devices make it easier for Generation Z to connect with one another, therefore a majority of connections are made online. These online connections take away from the frequency of in-person connections because in-person connections are being overlooked by technology for Generation Z. Furthermore, according to researchers from the University of Oxford, 15.2% of adolescents have met someone in-person that they first got to know online (Bear et al., 7131). This small percentage shows that Generation Z may feel more comfortable interacting online rather than in-person because digital platforms can be less intimidating and make people feel less pressured when communicating with others. However, this study is limited due to only collecting data from Generation Z in the United Kingdom. Additional studies would be needed to support and further the validity of this data for Generation Z worldwide. By contrast, 33% of teens say it is easier to connect with friends online rather than physically (Anderson and Jiang, 14). This statement is backed by JingJing Zheng, a lecturer at the School of Foreign Languages at Guangxi University of Finance and Economics in Nanning, China, who states that the internet has allowed for instant global connections (7924). Although the advancement of technology has allowed for more recent generations, such as Generation Z who was born in the digital era, to easily connect, these connections are not as strong as connections formed through in-person interactions. In-person interactions allow for connection on a deeper level than online connections because people feel more inclined to show their true emotions, rather than put on an artificial smile, where their real feelings are able to be buffered by technology. Specifically, 74% of Generation Z feel happier when interacting directly rather than online (Norhabiba et al., 5641). This data signifies the importance of in-person interactions and how they can create sincere relationships among Generation Z.
Gender Differences
As demonstrated above, digital communication increases feelings of loneliness among Generation Z. Nonetheless, different genders within Generation Z experience these high feelings of loneliness differently. The reason for this difference stems from the idea that certain genders use technology more than others. Specifically, findings reveal that women are more internet addicted than men (48% vs. 24%), leading to women having higher rates of loneliness than men (28.3% vs. 23.3%) (Wang and Zeng, 3). If women are on devices more often than men, their connections will predominantly be formed online. Due to online connections not being as strong as in-person connections, women suffer from this loneliness more. Additionally, in a study that asked Generation Z about how much they feel socially disconnected under a digital environment on a scale of 1-5, five meaning the statement resonated with them more, women aligned themselves more with statements regarding digital connections. Specifically, when rating the given statement, “I feel so distant from people under the environment of digital diversification,” men fell on the scale at a 3.359, while women fell at a 3.914. Also, when given the statement “I catch myself losing all sense of connectedness with society under the environment of digital diversification,” men fell at a 3.042, while women fell at a 3.613 (Zheng, 7930). While the numbers are similar, showing that Generation Z overall does not form profound connections digitally, women tend to have higher data points than men, which reflects their increased internet addiction, which was also proven above by Wang and Zeng above. A similar finding reports that teenage girls are two times more likely to speed time in an online group than teenage boys and that teenage girls are more active than teenage boys at disconnecting from others on social media (Anderson and Jiang, 8 and 16). As teenage girls are routinely participating in online groups, they are constantly connected, but this connection does not indicate that they are forming deeper relationships compared to the less digitally connected teenage boys. In fact, this connection proves the opposite as these teenage girls are quick to disconnect from others. In summary, all three of these sources agree that Generation Z females feel more lonely from digital communication than Generation Z males due to their heavy internet use as a form of connection.
Conclusion
If Generation Z learns to understand the importance of forming and keeping authentic relationships, their overall mental health, in terms of feeling lonely, will improve. While it is not strategic to remove online forms of connection because online connections allow for people to interact worldwide, it is necessary to implement ways to get Generation Z to interact with each other without using digital platforms. A successful strategy was carried out in coffee shops in the United Kingdom. Specifically, a standing room, a structured space for mingling, was created in order to make conversation easier. Face-to-face interactions were encouraged, rather than customers sitting at isolated tables on their devices (Ferreira et al., 12) These standing rooms have increased the likeliness of social engagement as people communicated by talking rather than texting. Despite its benefits, this resolution does come with limitations. Standing rooms may be difficult to implement globally due to extensive costs and the time necessary to redesign popular communal spaces. Additionally, Generation Z would still be able to have high rates of digital connectivity outside of public spaces such as coffee shops. While digital connectivity is not bad because it allows for global connections, if Generation Z is reliant on these digital interactions, loneliness is more likely to develop. While loneliness among Generation Z does not only stem from digital interactions, it has become clear that these digital interactions are a major factor in their loneliness. After considering this information, it is still necessary to work towards implementing standing rooms in public spaces because it is crucial for Generation Z to form genuine relationships. Not only would strong and lasting relationships form, but feelings of loneliness experienced from digital communication would decrease. Finally, as technology evolves, Generation Z and future generations will be able to feel connected rather than alone in their everyday lives.
Works Cited
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