🧠 Gen Z, Mental Health and Social Media

Gen Z and the Mental Health Crisis in the Age of Social Media

By Fatima Asef — La Trobe University

Gen Z and the Mental Health Crisis in the Age of Social Media

Generation Z is growing up in an environment where identity is no longer shaped slowly or privately. Unlike childhood, where self-perception is often simple and free from judgment, Gen Z enters adolescence surrounded by constant comparison and visibility. Social media platforms expose young people to curated lifestyles, unrealistic standards, and continuous opinions from both peers and strangers. As a result, many struggle to understand who they are beyond external approval.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is not to criticise technology, but to help Gen Z, parents, and educators understand how constant digital exposure quietly reshapes identity, confidence, and emotional balance—and how awareness can restore control.

Identity development becomes disrupted when validation comes primarily from screens. Instead of exploring personal values, interests, and emotions at their own pace, many young people feel pressured to define themselves through likes, comments, and online attention. While previous generations discovered their individuality through real-world experiences and gradual self-reflection, Gen Z often finds that their sense of self is shaped before it has the chance to fully form.

Beyond identity, mental health is deeply affected by constant digital consumption. Social media encourages continuous exposure to content—both positive and distressing. Young people absorb comparison, criticism, trends, conflicts, and global crises all at once. The pleasure they gain from online validation is short-lived. Once the attention fades, feelings of emptiness often return.

Without strong internal sources of confidence or fulfillment, many fall into a cycle of seeking quick reassurance online. This pattern discourages the development of long-term happiness rooted in real experiences, meaningful relationships, personal growth, and a stable sense of self. Over time, reliance on external validation can weaken emotional resilience and self-esteem.

Social health has also declined. Although social media promises connection, it often replaces rather than supports real interaction. Many Gen Z individuals find online communication easier than face-to-face conversation. When interactions become uncomfortable or challenging, retreating into digital spaces feels safer than learning how to navigate real human connection.

This shift can lead to isolation, loneliness, and emotional withdrawal. Instead of spending time outdoors, engaging in physical activity, or meeting friends in person, many young people spend long hours alone, relying on phones, gaming, or video calls as their primary form of social life. A lifestyle with limited movement and genuine interaction can significantly affect mental and emotional well-being.

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Another concern is the gradual loss of interest in hobbies and offline passions. Previous generations often developed skills through sports, arts, crafts, reading, or outdoor exploration. In contrast, many young people today struggle to stay engaged in activities that require patience, effort, or physical presence. The fast-paced stimulation of digital platforms makes slower, effort-based activities feel unrewarding.

Without hobbies that encourage creativity, discipline, and self-expression, opportunities for stress relief and personal fulfillment become limited. Over time, this can leave individuals feeling bored, unmotivated, and disconnected from themselves.

What Should Parents Do?

Parents play a critical role in supporting healthier mental and emotional development. Encouraging balance is a strong starting point. This includes setting reasonable boundaries around screen time, promoting real-life activities, and modeling healthy digital habits. Children benefit from seeing adults engage meaningfully with life beyond screens.

Creating space for hobbies, outdoor activities, and face-to-face friendships helps young people build confidence and independence. Open communication is equally important. Children should feel safe discussing their emotions, pressures, and struggles without fear of judgment or dismissal.

Parents can guide their children toward self-worth that does not depend on online comparison, helping them recognize their individual strengths and values. Most importantly, presence matters—consistent support, structure, and empathy help Gen Z reconnect with themselves and build stronger mental, social, and emotional foundations for the future.

A calm overview of how social media shapes Gen Z identity, confidence, social life and inner wellbeing, and how parents can support them.

For: Gen Z, Parents, Teachers

Theme: Identity, Social Media, Mental Health

Gen Z is growing up in a world where identity is constantly shaped and reshaped by the online environment. This article explains what is happening inside, and offers simple ways to rebuild balance.

Read the article Parents

Identity in a Constantly Connected World

Generation Z is growing up in a world where identity is constantly shaped and reshaped by the online environment. Unlike childhood, where insecurities are almost nonexistent and self-perception is simple and innocent, Gen Z enters adolescence and adulthood surrounded by comparison, judgment and curated realities.

Social media exposes them to unrealistic standards, highlight reels and constant opinions from peers and strangers. Because of this, many young people struggle to understand who they truly are outside of external validation. Their identity development becomes interrupted as they are consumed by what the outside world thinks of them, instead of having the space and time to explore themselves naturally.

Where previous generations slowly discovered their individuality through real-life experiences, Gen Z often finds that their sense of self is shaped before they even have the chance to form it themselves.

Absorbing Everything: When the Mind Becomes a Sponge

Alongside disrupted identity, Gen Z’s mental health is heavily impacted by their constant consumption of online content. Many fall into the pattern of absorbing everything they see, the positive, the negative and everything in between. They become like sponges, constantly soaking up comparison, criticism, trends, drama, world issues and other stressors.

The problem is that the happiness they find online is almost always temporary. The validation from likes, comments and followers fades, and because they haven’t developed strong internal sources of joy or confidence, they are left feeling empty again.

This creates a cycle of seeking quick satisfaction online instead of learning how to build long-term happiness from genuine experiences, relationships, personal achievements and inner growth.

Social Media vs Real Social Health

Another major issue is the decline in social health. Even though it is called “social media”, Gen Z often relies on it as their main form of interaction. As a result, many struggle with face-to-face communication, conversation skills and basic social confidence.

They may find it easier to message someone than speak to them in person, and when conversations get difficult or awkward, they retreat into their phones instead of learning how to navigate real human connection. This lack of genuine social interaction can worsen mental health, leading to feelings of isolation, loneliness, depression and emotional withdrawal.

Instead of going outside, meeting friends or participating in physical activities, many spend long hours alone in their rooms, relying on their phones, gaming or calls as their only “social life”.