From Social Media to Social Justice: The Power of Gen Z
“I have found that Gen Z has several great strengths that will help them drive positive change. The first is that they are not in denial. They want to get stronger and healthier, and most are open to new ways of interacting. The second strength is that they want to bring about systemic change to create a more just and caring world, and they are adept at organizing to do so (yes, using social media).” [1]
As a mother of three daughters who were born after 1995 (1996, 1998, 2002), I have witnessed the effects of social media firsthand. Each of them has been influenced by social media in some way, shape or form. All three of them use Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. A couple of them use Snapchat too. One of my daughters has a Podcast and one of them has an active YouTube channel. Interestingly, the oldest of the three, now a mom, is extremely cautious about the amount of screen exposure her child takes in and makes outdoor, unstructured play the majority of the day. The effects of social media on the self-esteem of girls is a real thing and I don’t necessarily think it is isolated to girls in the teen years.
When my daughters were young we spent a lot of time outdoors and often had their friends in our home for dinners, family vacations, sleepovers, parties, bonfires, trips, and more. Our home was a hangout. I miss those days when our living room was filled with friends from the basketball team, neighborhood, or marching band. The time spent together often had food, laughter, and great conversations. Social media was very new and unexplored at that time in our lives. Not knowing what we know now, our girls were able to have a Facebook account when they turned 13 years old if they wanted one. While they had flip phones for the longest time (until they worked, earning their own money to buy an iPhone), they viewed Facebook on their laptops.
In The Anxious Generation, Author Jonathan Haidt explores how the rise of smartphones and social media has negatively impacted the mental health of Gen Z. Haidt examines key psychological effects such as increased loneliness, sleep deprivation, and the addictive nature of social media platforms. We noticed this addictive nature develop in our girls, especially in family gatherings when cousins gathered for the holidays, and what historically looked like play and conversation had changed to everyone on their phone. Haidt highlights how technologies have disrupted teens’ attention spans, social connections, and well-being. He argues that the constant notifications and online interactions erode the ability to focus and lead to a dependence on social validation. Ultimately, Haidt advocates for collective societal action to address these issues, including limiting social media use and encouraging more in-person interactions. His central claim is that the trends of overprotection in the real world and underprotection in the virtual world are the major reasons why children born after 1995, Gen Z, became the anxious generation. [2]
Social Media Addiction and Social Validation
Social media addiction, like other forms of addiction, has a psychological foundation. These platforms are designed to be addictive by tapping into basic human needs and behaviors. Social media allows users to carefully curate how they appear to others. The pursuit of projecting a positive image can become addictive, leading to frequent checks for likes and comments. As social beings, humans naturally seek connection, and social media provides an easy way to communicate, share, and engage, often creating a sense of belonging. [3] Acquiring likes or views is like obtaining votes of approval – social validation. Acquiring likes is like acquiring votes of approval, causing a person to want more, look for more, and post more.
The ‘like’ button offers social validation, which can trigger feelings of happiness and self-worth. Each time we receive a like, comment, or share on social media, our brain releases dopamine, creating a feeling of instant gratification. The cycle of posting, checking red notifications, and posting again is similar to the way other addictions, like gambling or drug use, function. The unpredictability of these rewards makes social media even more addictive. [4]
Mental Health and Identity
In the Spring of 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, issued an advisory titled Social Media and Youth Mental Health, highlighting increasing evidence of social media’s negative effects on young people’s mental health. [5] Shortly afterward, the American Psychological Association (APA) released its own health advisory. A year later, in June 2024, Dr. Murthy advocated for a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, a measure that would require congressional approval to enforce. [6] I wanted to dig a little into additional research about the effects of social media on mental health. Here are a couple of data pieces that jumped out at me:
- A 2022 survey of 13 to 17-year-olds (based on about 1,300 responses) found that 35% of teens use at least one of five social media platforms more than several times a day. The five social media platforms are YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. [7] (My girls used all five.)
- In a study with 12 to 15-year-olds in the US, spending three hours a day using social media was linked to a higher risk of mental health concerns. The study was based on data collected in 2013 and 2014 from over 6,500 participants. [8] (We limited their usage. . . phew.)
One thing that stood out to me was that Gen Z became the first generation in history to go through puberty with a portal in their pockets that called them away from the people nearby and into an alternative universe that was exciting, addictive, and unstable. [9] Adolescent girls seem to be more susceptible to mental health challenges from social media use compared to boys. The frequent exposure to sexualized images online is believed to play a role in increasing body dissatisfaction among girls. Such objectification can reinforce the harmful message that a girl’s worth is tied to her physical appearance. This study examined the potential impact of sexualized images commonly seen on social media, exploring both the positive and negative effects they may have on the mental health of adolescent girls. [10] Journalist and author Abigail Shrier speaks to this social contagion when she speaks to leaders, professors, and healthcare professionals in her talk “Science, the Transgender Phenomenon and the Young.” [11] These pieces of data present so many questions about how current ideologies, around the formation of identity, are contributing to the dis-integration of humans as made in the image of God.
Social Media to Social Justice
Despite all of the effects of social media on Gen Z, I believe that Gen Z has several strengths that will drive positive change, especially the attention given to creation, social justice, and the advances in technology that will pave the way for the Gospel to be spread to unreached people groups.
[1] Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of
Mental Illness, (London: Penguin Books, 2024) 12.
[2] Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation, 9.
[3] https://www.addictioncenter.com/behavioral-addictions/social-media-addiction/
[4] Chris Rancourt, “The Dark Side of Likes: Exploring the Impact of Social Media Addiction on Mental Health”,
January 12, 2024,
[5] https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf
[6] Kathy Katella, “How Social Media Affects Your Teen’s Mental Health: A Parent’s Guide,” Yale Medicine,
(June 17, 2024), https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/social-media-teen-mental-health-a-parents-guide.
[7] “Teens and Social media use: What’s the impact?” Mayo Clinic, (January 18, 2024),
[8] Ibid.
[9] Haidt, 6.
[10] Alana Papageorgiou, Colleen Fisher & Donna Cross, “Why don’t I look like her? How adolescent
girls view social media and its connection to body image.” BMC Women’s Health 22, Article
number: 261 (2022), https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-022-01845-4.
[11] Abigail Shrier, “Science, the Transgender Phenomenon, and the Young”, May 12, 2021,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWbxIFC0Q2o&t=1314s.
About the Author
Cathy Glei
Cathy Glei serves as an instructional leader and pastor with over 27 years in education and ministry. She is dedicated to discipling others as they grow in their relationship with God, others and the world. Cathy has facilitated numerous professional development sessions, trainings, and workshops in both education and ministry. Passionate about supporting others in uncovering the Creator's design within them, Cathy lives in Michigan with her husband, Steve, and their eight-year-old Springer Spaniel, Otis. Cathy is a mother of three daughters and "Gooma" (grandma) to two adorable grandsons (emphasis on adorable 😊). She enjoys listening and exchanging laughter and stories with others, hanging out with friends, both old and new, as well as being outdoors, enjoying activities such as cycling, camping, hiking, and kayaking.14 responses to “From Social Media to Social Justice: The Power of Gen Z”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Hi Cathy,
Thanks for diving deeper. My three children are of this generation and I have to say, that I may have failed in so many ways in setting up guard rails at the start.
We dd LEARN about parental controls, but perhaps too late!
Sigh…what is a daddy to do.
PRAY HARD.
Shalom…
Pray diligently indeed!!
Hi Cathy, What a thoughtful and well written post! I love how you brought so many other voices to the discussion and highlighted the mental health and identity impacts. Unfortunately, they aren’t confined to Gen Z alone. As an instructional coach in the public school system, how often does the topic of social media come up and have you seen changes in students academically as kids get access to social media at younger ages?
Thank you for asking!!!
The effects of social media rarely come up but that could be due to the fact that it is an elementary building. However, teachers have reported students influenced by TikTok and You Tube. Many students watch YouTube, unsupervised or filtered, like a television channel. There is more screen time usage, as at home screen usage is now combined with school usage. In the district I work in, students are on computers for LEXIA, Dreambox, EPIC, and other educational apps throughout the day. Not to mention that since COVID most instruction in the classroom is done through slides and books are often read via YouTube. While I don’t think using slides and read alouds from online sources is a bad practice for instruction, I do wonder about the long-term effects of so much screen usage. It is a big issue.
Cathy, my wife and I were literally (yesterday) just talking about how much we miss the adventure of having the kids in the home. Don’t get me wrong, we are happy they are now all in their careers and have all left the nest (our oldest is now married, too). But we do miss the energy and excitement of having our house as a hangout spot for them and for all their friends, along with the adventures and events on the weekends, especially this time of year (our kids were all cross country runners). And those years that they were able to obtain their own smart devices…those were adventurous and challenging years, indeed.
You brought up Dr. Vivek Murthy. I have found some of his research to be quite helpful, and I have referenced his book “Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World.” You mentioned that has advocated putting a warning label on social media platforms. I’d love to hear more of your thoughts about that.
I don’t know if a warning label would help people think twice about social media usage, or cause them to use it less (maybe initially). There is a lack of awareness of the long term effects. It is a complicated issue and more awareness of the effects is a good place to start.
Cathy, I wanted to read your post because I knew you’d have great insights regarding mental health and our youth and you did not disappoint.
You write, “The effects of social media on the self-esteem of girls is a real thing and I don’t necessarily think it is isolated to girls in the teen years.” Yes. Yes. Yes. I can find it affecting my own self-esteem when I spend too much time on Instagram. Ugh. What I have come to appreciate are those “influencers” who show real life, real bodies, real house, etc. They can actually have a positive influence on me at times.
You also write: “One thing that stood out to me was that Gen Z became the first generation in history to go through puberty with a portal in their pockets that called them away from the people nearby and into an alternative universe that was exciting, addictive, and unstable.” Your use of the word, “unstable” was gave me a jolt as I think it is so accurate! I think about my daughter’s friend groups texting one another and I think about the shifting sands of 7th grade friendships, especially in girls. It makes me wonder about how that sort of instability will affect my daughter and how I might approach conversations with her about it. Thank you for giving me this language.
My son posted a picture someone took in the locker room as his team was preparing for their football game. Even though (I think) researchers have shown that phone usage before a game can be detrimental to a athlete’s preparation, almost every single player was on his phone. This stood out to me.
Thank you for your post and for your wisdom.
Kally,
I hear you. So much is seen on social media that influences thoughts and feelings, about oneself and others. Before a person knows it, they go from celebrating for the person to comparing. Then the comparing trails to negative self-talk. Negative self-talk is commonly linked to low self-esteem, anxiety, or depression and can be a barrier to personal growth and mental well-being. It is a vicious cycle of which I am all too familiar with. Ugh! Thankful for Jesus and His reassuring love that reminds us of who we are.
Cathy~
You concluded your post with this statement: “Despite all of the effects of social media on Gen Z, I believe that Gen Z has several strengths that will drive positive change, especially the attention given to creation, social justice, and the advances in technology that will pave the way for the Gospel to be spread to unreached people groups.”
My question for you is how? How do you see a way for this incredible group of young people to heal from the adverse statistics you write about? You and I have much in common with raising three daughters around the exact same time and in similar ways. Are you thinking that by having their own children, wisdom and healing will come in bucketfuls?
Thanks for your question Pam. I have heard from Gen Z individuals who are starting families who are eliminating social media apps from their phones and are working hard to limit its use. I commend them for taking a stand and working hard to set up family frameworks for change. Social media is a powerful influencer.
Ok. Wow. This post somehow acheived being so deep and expansive, while also being really personal and heartfelt. How you did all that in this size of post is pretty amazing Cathy.
The thing that became evident to me as I read your post is how connected the facts are to the feelings. The stats and the students. The numbers and the humans.
We KNOW there is a problem when we read all the data and we KNOW there is a problem when we just look across the room and see bent necks, glossy eyes or distant stares.
I too still see all this in my grown adult children. The question I’m wrestling with now is how I can subtly (because they are no longer young and under my authority) move them away from their devices and into better human engagement.
Ah, parenting. It never ends.
Yes, parenting looks different at this stage (more like consultation).
That dopamine hit is a real thing. I agree with your post and feel like Gen Z is coming after a generation that was lost to technology wave? Not that I think they are hopelessly lost, but it’s going to take some work to address addiction. I wonder when it will show up on the DSM diagnosis list?
Hi Cathy,
Thank you for sharing your life story regarding your three daughters, who are part of Gen Z. You wrote that they also have many social media experiences. In your view as a mother, teacher, and church minister, what factors protect Gen Z (especially from your children’s experiences) from the negative impacts of social media and have strong determination and courage in living life? Blessings!