How the modern world of social media affects us
Most of us are on social media. It’s 2025, so it’s almost weirder when someone doesn’t use any social media platforms. Whether it’s TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat, we often forget that all we’re being shown while scrolling is what’s making you, YOU.
I am part of the Gen Z generation, and I think that’s where I belong. We have so much potential to grow and change the world for the better. We’re driven, dedicated, and open to fixing past dysfunctions and breaking generational issues.
But we also have new struggles that previous generations didn’t have. We are the first ones to have such broad access to this new world of social media, and sometimes I wonder if it causes us to stray from the greater good.
Gen Z is so sucked into our outer appearance, the nonstop “glow up tips,” “how to be hotter” guides, and the newest “clean girl” trends on social media.
I believe these things affect us so much more than we realize. This is especially evident in Gen Alpha, the first generation with unrestricted access to this new online world. So many kids have phones, and we’re seeing a rise in the so-called “Sephora kids” and child influencers. Despite that, there is no way to fully understand the impact all of this has on us and our kids. Programming starts as a child. We learn to filter what feels good and beneficial, and what is bringing us down. Now, that never stops, as we unconsciously let our phones become our new parents in adulthood.
It’s all done subconsciously, as you’re lying in bed scrolling, slowly programming your mind. Sad videos make you sad, happy ones make you feel happy. And we chase this rollercoaster of dopamine all day long.
As an athlete, I will go into practice feeling good about myself. Then, I’ll see a child prodigy on my for-you page on Instagram, my confidence is suddenly gone, and my performance goes down. Confidence will take you so incredibly far. Yet, in such a vast world of comparison, we are slowly losing this vital skill.
As humans, we are programmed to do everything possible to be likable.
We dress to impress, talk to be likable, and act differently with different friend groups — and it’s all done subconsciously. We can be other people’s biggest supporters and cheerleaders. But when it comes to ourselves, we are our biggest bullies. We live in a world where you’re appreciated if you have a people-pleasing mentality and seen as selfish if you focus on yourself for too long, so that in adulthood we now have so many issues around self-respect, love, and the want to care for ourselves to now battle.
Self-love and confidence are two things we naturally need, yet they’re so hard to achieve. If you can do just a little each day to work on them, you can build your success and become conscious of the information you let shape who you are.
There is no doubt that what you watch online on social media, who you are around, and what you choose to ingest is what shapes you. So maybe we should all look a little deeper and stop to think, “Is this who I really want to be?”