A Boomer’s Reflection on a Gen Z’s Wisdom
To say that I found Ari Lowinsky’s remarkable essay (“A Journey Through Digital Wellness” in this issue) thought provoking would be an understatement. As an ADHD coach and postsecondary disability specialist, I have re-read his article several times and shared it with a number of clients. I encourage you to do the same if you work with young people, too. His reflections seem of greatest relevance to teens and young adults. While each reader may find different points that speak to their own lived experiences, allow me to share a few thoughts about using Ari’s insights in my coaching work with adolescents and young adults with neurodiversity (ADHD, LD, ASD).
As a researcher and digital immigrant, I appreciated Ari’s use of data and citations while discussing his social media use. He writes that, like many other members of Gen Z, he typically spent 6-8 hours a day on his phone until recently, scrolling through reels, watching videos, and visiting or posting on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. When he checked his phone data, he was astonished to see that his daily online time could peak at 12 hours. For context, most winter days have fewer hours of sunlight than that. I also appreciated Ari’s recognition of how his habitual use of social media created a problematic paradox. While it began with his desire to connect with peers and build a community of curated groups and information streams, it actually resulted in isolation and loneliness. Imagine becoming a dedicated gym rat only to develop chronic fatigue and muscle loss after all those workouts! Be sure to open Ari’s “common struggle” link to read how social media algorithms hook consumers into staying online longer. This creates profits for the companies behind those platforms. Sobering food for thought…
Parents, educators, and mental health professionals are tracking the long-term impacts of COVID on a generation of young people whose schooling – and social lives – were upended overnight. In a painfully ironic way, the generation that “did not look up” from their devices prior to the global shut-down struggled with classes, making friends, and developing a healthy sense of self when schooling became limited to online learning. Beyond just in-person educational environments, COVID prevented young people from gathering in what Ari terms the “third place” in our country – “physical places where people can gather, socialize, and engage in meaningful interactions.” Loneliness and social anxiety are now all too common among many of my younger clients who say, “I struggled to learn how to make friends during the pandemic.”
Much has been written about the rise in mental health issues over the past decade. U.S. sources report a steep increase in young people dealing with clinical anxiety, depression, and related challenges. In a 2022 study of 54,000 undergraduates by the American College Health Association, 77% had experienced some type of psychological distress, 54% experienced loneliness, and 30% had exhibited suicidal behavior. Thankfully, our society has also witnessed a lessening of stigma around talking about these issues and seeking help. Ari noted that young men of his generation can still find it difficult, however, to admit that they are lonely, sad, depressed or anxious. Online sources can offer resources and a sense of community to individuals dealing with these issues, and young people are often more comfortable seeking help via internet sources. Interestingly, Ari writes that his intentional lessening of screen time increased his energy and well-being. He has replaced much of his digital behavior with time at the gym, going into work earlier, and other choices that make his days more productive. Several of my clients (all male undergraduates) have reported similar decisions. One decided to stop the habit of reaching for his phone upon waking and mindlessly spending up to an hour on it before his feet hit the floor. His new morning routine includes a healthy breakfast, shower, and conversation with his roommate as he plans his day. His grades have soared and he feels in much greater control of his life these days. The other client recently texted me with this update: “Purged ALL social media I had. Taking back valuable time. Overall I feel great.”
This article is not intended as a rant against social media. I certainly use my own apps and platforms while going through busy days and weeks. It’s almost impossible today not to. What I am taking from Ari’s example (as well as that of a small but growing number of clients) are the benefits we can all enjoy by making healthy choices about screen time. This is no doubt more challenging for a younger generation of digital natives. They are finding, though, that they are more productive, social, energized and happier when they buck the habit of constant screen time. These self-determined choices give them greater agency that is exciting to witness and read about. Perhaps we can all give some thought to that…once we step away from our screens.
