Do we fear that when we die, we won't see memories in front of our eyes, but thousands of reels instead? Surely, many of us don't. This is the harsh reality of our times. Drowning in endless scrolling, likes, comments, and shares, our souls starve of the very experiences that make life worth living.
The release of the smartphone in 2008 transformed how we interact with and experience the world. Marking the dawn of a new era in human history, today most people keep their phones within arm's reach at all times and dedicate a significant portion of their waking hours to using these devices.
Social media apps are among the most heavily used, with some people spending several hours a day on Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok.
The smartphone social media ecosystem has improved our quality of life by providing nearly limitless entertainment, facilitating easier communication and connection with others, creating business opportunities, and enabling the sharing and consumption of information, pictures, and videos.
"Communicating face-to-face feels harder than communicating on social media. I deal with social awkwardness and often struggle to express myself fully in person. Still, online, I can," said Md. Ikramul Islam, a job holder who uses social media often.
Yet this ecosystem has a dark side. It is addictive, makes us vain and hostile, and reveals only the shallow aspects of our nature.
Gen Z became the first generation to grow up with a portal in their pockets that pulled them away from the people around them and into an alternate universe that was thrilling, addictive, chaotic, and unsuitable for children and adolescents.
When the only 'technology' was a TV, a cassette player, a radio, or a simple phone, afternoons were for playing outside with every kid in the neighbourhood. The Maghrib's adhan felt like a gentle bell to head back home. Childhood meant simple joys like making pretend money out of leaves and collecting chewing gum stickers.
Around 2010, rates of mental illness in Gen Z, or those born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, suddenly drastically increased in the Western world.
According to a World Health Organisation report, more than 1 in 10 adolescents showed signs of problematic social media behaviour, struggling to control their use and experiencing negative consequences. Girls reported higher levels of troubling social media use than boys.
Over a third of young people reported constant contact with friends online, with the highest rates among 15-year-old girls.
These findings come from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, which surveyed almost 280,000 young people aged 11, 13, and 15 across 44 countries and regions in Europe, Central Asia, and Canada.
The rise of the Smartphone and Social media ecosystem is fueling a mental health crisis among young people. Gen Z, in particular, is the heaviest user of these technologies.
A 2015 Pew research report found that one in every 14 teens said they were online almost constantly. By 2022, that number has risen to 46%. Still, it remains unclear whether these technologies cause depression and anxiety, or whether depressed and anxious individuals spend more time on their phones and social media.
Why are smartphones and social media causing mental health problems in young people? To answer this question, we must identify what young people are missing out on due to their excessive technology use, specifically the play-based childhood they are missing.
Throughout human history, in all parts of the world and in all cultures, people have spent much of their free time playing with peers. This play-based childhood is not unique to humans.
All young mammals instinctively gravitate to playing as it is essential for their development. The healthiest type of play is unsupervised outdoor play with peers, characterised by sporadic risk-taking.
According to Norwegian Professors, this involves thrill-seeking in exciting forms of the game that carry a risk of physical injury, thereby engaging in Risky play.
Children confront and overcome their fears and anxieties, learn to endure minor injuries, and challenge their perceived limits. For example, climbing trees may stimulate anxiety. Still, by climbing them anyway, children develop physical skills, resilience, problem-solving abilities, and a sense of accomplishment that helps them face future risks and obstacles with greater confidence.
Playing with peers also helps children cultivate social skills, channel their natural aggressive impulses towards socially constructive ends, and form long-lasting cooperative bonds.
The most apparent reason why a phone-based childhood is ruining the mental health of the youth is that many apps, notably social media apps, are intentionally designed to be addictive.
Imagine a childhood living entirely online, where all risks had been eliminated. Nobody ever felt the rush of adrenaline from climbing a tree when an adult had told them not to.
Nobody ever experienced butterflies in their stomach as they mustered the courage to ask someone out. There would be fewer bruises, broken bones, and broken hearts. It might sound like a safer world; however, whether it is positive for children can be a matter of concern as well.
They are withdrawing from the physical world. They are less engaged in risk-taking.
Overall, it sounds both healthy and unhealthy, which means we learn less about managing risks in real-world situations. The real world is sinking, swallowed by the relentless grip of technological advancement.
Let your eyes wander to the quiet embrace of nature, then ask yourself, Is this grand evolution of human history truly carrying us toward a world of beauty and bliss, or have we lost the very soul of what it means to live?
faimajannatul0102@gmail.com
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