The millennial generation gets a bad reputation. We’re thought of as lazy and narcissistic. According to Michael Castillo’s “Millennials are the most stressed generation, survey finds” millennials are the most depressed generation relative to generations including Generation X (ages 34-47), Baby Boomers (ages 48-66) and seniors (ages 67+). But why?
There are numerous reasons this is the case. I want to look at one major one: social media. Social media is accused of making my generation selfish, disconnected and lazy. Social media is causing my generation to have more issues but it isn’t so transparent.
Social media opens up channels of communication. More and more there is a phenomenon occurring where the users are becoming the producers. This means instead of being passive consumers of social media, the users are active. They’re posting content that fuels the success of social media sites. This causes an endless stream of content attacking you. When we try to contribute, it often gets lost in that stream. This can be harmful because when we share something important, we don’t always get the confirmation we’re seeking. It could be argued that seeking confirmation for our actions, in general, is harmful, but I don’t think it’s something we can give up. Having some form of confirmation, whether it comes in the form of likes, comments or even face to face contact, helps us feel less alone and gives us a higher self-esteem. Being ignored makes us feel less important and more depressed.
Another issue that comes with social media is filters. Everyone knows that you can edit and filter your pictures to make yourself “more perfect.” This is harmful for obvious reasons. When we see people we believe to be better than us, we get down on ourselves. A lot of people start to feel like they are pretty enough or good enough because they’re seeing people who are better than them or prettier or smarter. It can be difficult to maintain a higher self-esteem while constantly feeling like there is always someone better out there.
Of course, there are numerous other reasons the millennial generation has issues with depression. There are economic and educational factors as well. However, social media is one unique feature that this generation has been exposed to that other generations have not had to deal with. Social media is not all bad. It’s a more complicated system than we are led to believe. It has many positive effects but it also has consequences. It allows us to talk to people and share things easier than ever before. But it also contributes to self-esteem issues.
