When I get stuck in a social media scrolling hole, whether it be YouTube Shorts or TikTok, invariably or eventually I get hit with a video not like the others. From what I can tell the person is a child, most often a girl, and likely not more than 12 years old. And there, this stranger is pushed in to my feed. And that pains me.
I am fully thankful now to have access to a greater diversity of information and entertainment than my ancestors could have ever imagined. I think that social media connects us in faster and wide ranging ways than any tool ever in human existence. And I fully believe that there is a net good to these innovations, and yet I am glad that I had no access to them in my adolescent years.
We seek peer connection and approval in our adolescence in a much stronger way than in any other point of our lives. Seeking to fit in with your peer group is hard enough if your grade level has 1200 students. Imagine seeking that same validation when that group becomes the entire world. Imagine feeling the urge to put out videos to the world, seeking likes to fulfill your prehistoric desire to belong and be seen. Or going on the constant search for places to belong, with the decision to shift your personality and life to conform to what you find. Perhaps it’s fulfilling, but too often it’s a dangerous and potentially mentally damaging exercise that continues to play out day after day.
Barring a major shift in human evolution, adolescent brains will continue to seek out peer approval. The question then becomes how do brands, software developers, and governments use that information? Will they support young people’s flourishing to make developmentally healthy environments? Or will they take advantage of that vulnerability to sell more and more products and more and more time in their apps?
Of all the things I might have changed about my childhood and teenage years, this one area I would keep the same: the ability to develop a sense of self offline. And though their brains may disagree, I wish same for this young generation.
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A Wren Says 
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