YOUTH VOICES
How Gen Z Is Fighting Back... ...continued from page 15
use of it, they don’t talk about it as a matter of personal responsibility and self-control the way older adults often do. Instead, they frame it as DV\VWHPLFLVVXHWKDWUHTXLUHVUHJXODWLRQVXFKDVWKH.,'6$FWDQGDQ RQOLQHVDIHW\ELOORXWRIWKH8QLWHG.LQJGRPWKDWFRXOGLQÀXHQFHKRZ the rest of the world handles tech. At the same time, teens and young adults don’t believe social media is going away. The focus, they say, must be on designing more authen- tic and less toxic ways of connecting, and teaching media literacy—and they are ready to help lead the way. ³%HLQJLQ*HQ=VRFLDOPHGLDZDVEDNHGLQWRWKH'1$RIP\FKLOG - hood, and I think that’s going to be the same with every generation that comes after,” Lembke says. “As a society, we can force social me- GLDFRPSDQLHVWRSULRULWL]HWKHLUXVHUVDQG\RXWKPHQWDOKHDOWKDQG to exist in healthier ways. I hope legislators will open up and listen to us, because there’s much to be said from our side.” (ODLQH0H\HUZULWHV DERXWZRUN SXEOLF KHDOWK DQG WHFKQRORJ\ ZULWLQJ IRU RXWOHWV LQFOXGLQJ 'DPH 6DORQ )DVW &RPSDQ\ )RUEHV +ẊQJWRQ 3RVW DQG 3DFL¿F 6WDQGDUG 3UHYLRXVO\ VKH ZRUNHG DV a communications specialist in public health and taught English in )UDQFH 7KLV DUWLFOH RULJLQDOO\ DSSHDUHG LQ <HV0DJD]LQH RQOLQH DQG LV reprinted here with permission & licensed for materials designated DV&UHDWLYH&RPPRQV
“People in this country are still getting addicted to tech. It’s still in its infancy, not like the U.S., where everyone’s aware.” The group makes recommendations to its audience, such as not us- LQJ RQH¶VSKRQH¿UVW WKLQJ LQ WKHPRUQLQJ WXUQLQJ R̆QRWL¿FDWLRQV and practicing meditation to use social media more mindfully. “The irony on social media is that while you’re trying to capture the moment, you’re missing out on that moment to show people who are QRWWKHUHLQWKDWPRPHQW´VD\V/RRN8S,QGLD&KDLU5LMXO$URUD 2QHDSS/RRN8SKDVIXQGHGFDOOHG0\QGDOORZVXVHUVWRUDWHWKHLU moods while on social media, selecting choices like “happy,” “angry,” or “anxious,” and then view trends as well as set goals for healthier VRFLDOPHGLDXVH&UHDWRU0DGL0F&XOORXJKDUHFHQWFROOHJHJUDG - uate and freelance social media coordinator, was inspired by health apps that “use persuasive technology for good,” such as encouraging people to run more, rather than promoting addictive use. Less and Better Tech While the initial focus of LookUp was on funding tech projects like 0\QG5H\QROGVVD\VWKDWRQHRIWKHZLGHVWUHDFKLQJ LQLWLDWLYHVFHQ - WHUVDURXQGJRLQJWHFKIUHH1R6R1RYHPEHUFUHDWHGE\\HDUROG 8QLYHUVLW\RI&RORUDGR%RXOGHUVWXGHQW0DGGLH)UHHPDQLVDQLQL - WLDWLYH IRU KLJK VFKRROV DQG LQGLYLGXDOV WR ORJ R̆ RU GHOHWH DOO VRFLDO media apps for the month of November and spend their free time doing activities like yoga, cooking, and calling friends. The idea is to PDNHJRLQJR̆VRFLDOPHGLDDJURXSH[SHULHQFHUDWKHUWKDQDVRFLDOO\ isolating one. (Freeman recently shot a promo for the challenge with 7KH6RFLDO'LOHPPDGLUHFWRU-H̆2UORZVNL Like other Gen Z-ers, Freeman appreciates that social media allows KHUWRFRQQHFWVRHDVLO\ZLWKSHRSOHLQGL̆HUHQWWLPH]RQHVDQGGRHVQ¶W think it is the sole cause of mental health issues, but she believes it FRQWULEXWHVKHDYLO\,QKLJKVFKRRORIKHUSHHUVLQFOXGLQJVHYHUDO friends, and all of whom were heavy social media users, committed suicide. 'XULQJWKH¿UVW1R6R1RYHPEHUFKDOOHQJHODVW\HDUSDUWLFLSDQWVQR - ticed a change right away, she says: “Within days of being in that chal- lenge, everyone was like, ‘I do not miss these apps at all. I don’t want WRUHGRZQORDGWKHP¶,WZDVDZHLJKWOLIWHGR̆RIDOORIRXUVKRXOGHUV´ While in the near-term, young activists have focused on raising awareness of social media’s impact and strategies to cut down on their
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