THE LOST GENERATION
As the world is progressing and inventing new technologies the Gen Z and Gen Alpha seems more confused and lost. Technology, lifestyle and societal trends is challenging their well-being.
Impact of Mobile Technology and Social Media
Smartphones and digital devices have become our everyday need. Health studies warns that excessive use of phones can harm your health. For example: one study found that using a smartphone more than 4 hours a day can worsen your head and shoulder posture, forward head angle and reduce lung functions. Except physical problems, experts warn that constant notifications and “always-on” connectivity increases stress and anxiety. Columbia University psychiatrists describe how the stream of alerts and updates generates a “fear of missing out” that can interfere with sleep and raise stress levels. You must have noticed that while scrolling Instagram reels you started questioning your life, luck and lifestyle. You start comparing yourself with others. It is true that social media apps also encourage unhealthy comparisons. Algorithm pushes such content which highlights others’ lives, leading to feeling of inadequacy. Studies reveal that heavy social media use to lower self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness as people chase likes and approval.
Using mobile for long time can disturb our posture. Research shows people using phones >4 hours/day have more forward-head posture and reduced respiratory performance compared to light users. Constant alerts and excessive screen-time can disrupt our sleep cycle, worsening mental health. It can lead to insomnia and daytime fatigue. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok pushes content that increases the feeling of envy and self-doubt. Columbia researchers reveal that scrolling through rich lifestyle reels can lead many to compare themselves negatively, leading to depression and anxiety. Multiple studies find a correlation between heavy social media use and toxic lifestyle. For example: one research reveals that more time spent on social media correlates with higher psychological stress, poorer mental health, and increased suicidal thought in vulnerable youths.
Lifestyle, Diet and Physical Health
Modern lifestyles and processed diets have driven a global healthcare crisis. World Health Organization (WHO) reports that obesity rates have skyrocketed. In 2022, roughly 1 in 8 people worldwide were obese and 43% of adults were overweight. Obesity in children is increasing as well with the statistics of more than 160 million children and teens were obese in 2022. Nutritionist awards this achievement to junk food especially ultra processed foods such as sugary drinks, snack foods and pre-made meals. A team of Harvard nutrition experts revealed that obesity and related diseases have grown alongside consumption of processed meals. High income countries have seen processed products become 50% or more of packaged foods. It shows that how junk food has been normalized.
WHO data show that adult obesity has more than doubled since 1990, with more than 16% of adults obese globally in 2022. Experts warn that diets high in salt, sugar and fat are developing diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Harvard researchers reported that higher intake of processed food tends to greater risks of type 2 diabetes and heart diseases. Beyond diet, behavior like sitting in same posture for hours and higher screen time creates musculoskeletal issues. Studies of “text neck” show that teenagers addicted to devices can develop chronic neck and shoulder pain. Similarly, poor working environment and improper workplace can increase repetitive-strain injuries.
Information Control, Propaganda, and Social Media
Although digital media has transformed communication, experts warn that it also consolidates power in a small number of hands. The material that users see on major sites like Google, Facebook/Meta, and others is chosen by algorithms. A Harvard Law expert panel warned that these algorithms now have “primacy over news… over each of us, and they control what we do”. In practice, a few giant tech companies control the internet. For example, Stanford’s Nate Persily warned that Facebook and Google “have more power over the information ecosystem than any institution since the pre-Reformation Catholic Church”. Studies shows that state actors and interest groups exploit this to feed disinformation and propaganda to satisfy their goals. One study notes that algorithms “may prioritize information based on its potential for virality, rather than its grounding in veracity”. Troll armies, bots and fake accounts are used to spread rumor, conspiracies and hate. Analyst argue that foreign influence operations now use social networks to set narrative (for example, increasing racial and religious tensions) in ways similar to Cold War era.
Social media platform pushes content with higher engagement. Experts observe that emotional content tends to go viral, while truth and important news may be less prioritized. In real life, this means sensational and hot topics spread faster. As UC Davis scholar Cuihua Shen notes, platforms are designed to maximize engagement, so that outrage and hostility tend to drive engagement and get amplified. Studies reveals that social media has increased propaganda. One analysis showed conspiracy theories (e.g. about COVID) gained traction online and even led to increased hate crimes. Another found every week hate speech post more than 50% on X (formerly Twitter) after Elon Musk bought and policy changes in 2022. This spike led to real world incidents like calling out browns as ‘pajeet’ in real life and even taking their lives. It has become clear that digital propaganda increases racism and violence in real life. Social media also isolates users into a specific ideology, declining their actual capabilities. The capability of people to face problems and to debate worsens as people can easily block others. Algorithm only pushes such content aligning with user’s ideology, decreasing the user’s capability to think out of that specific ideology.
Overall, critics argue that only specific selected people control the internet. Tech giants, government and influential media can easily brainwash large audiences.
Cyberbullying and Suicide
Social media pressures contribute to declining youth well-being in many countries. Experts warn that increased use of social media apps leads to increased sadness and loneliness among teenagers. Surveys find teens who spend many hours on social platforms are more likely to report poor mental health. A survey found that more time on social networks correlates with more stress and suicidal thoughts among vulnerable youth. In other words, youths who feels alone and often gets bullied spends more time on social media.
Platform like Instagram encourage users to compare their lives to others’ lavish lifestyle. A survey revealed that teens who follow more rich people suffer more depression that one who mostly follow their friends. This behavior of comparing themselves can lead to low self-esteem and even eating disorders. The anonymous reach of internet has also increased cyber bullying and cyber-crimes. A WHO Europe report (covering 44 countries) revealed that 15% teenagers reported being cyber bullied from up to 12% last four years. Meanwhile, 12% of them said that they have also bullied someone online. Real life cases determine that boys are more likely to bully someone online than girls. WHO warns that online harassment is a public health and human right issue, linked to suicide.
Globally, suicide is considered the leading cause of deaths among youths. WHO reports over 720,000 people die by suicide each year worldwide. Making it 3rd leading cause of death for youths with age group around 15 to 29 years old. Many factors like peer pressure, racism, cybercrime, online harassment, mental illness, stress and abuse contribute to suicide mostly. Experts claim that while technology connects youth, it can also expose them to content glorifying self-harm.
Increased Racism
Many crimes often go unreported due to peer pressure and society. In many countries, including US, crime rates have actually declined over recent decades. For example: FBI and Bureau of Justice statistics show U.S. violent and property crime rates fell by 70% between 1993 and 2022. Nevertheless, recent years saw some spikes: U.S. homicide rates jumped in 2020–2021 before falling again in 2022. Racial and ethnic tensions have also increased widespread in recent years. While global data try to cover up real incidents and growth of racism, trends on social media clearly show growing hate and racism. For instance, after major platform policy changes in 2022, one study found that posts containing racist slurs on Twitter/X increased by about 50%. Academics warn that if online hate is not controlled, it can lead of real-life incidents, that is already happening in broad daylight. Berkeley researchers revealed that social media hate can convert into offline hate crimes. Official data in many countries often show reduced crime rates but unreported hate crimes get ignored. For example, Pew Research highlights that U.S. violent and property crime rates each fell by 70% from 1993 to 2022. Experts claimed that social media plays big role in spreading hate. UC Davis scholars explain that as platforms with less moderation often forms echo chambers to spread extreme hateful contents. Studies found that major social media platforms saw spike in homophobic, transphobic and racist slurs after constant changes in content moderation policies. These hateful messages can fuel broader racism. While global hate crime reporting is uneven, many nations report growing incidents linked to xenophobia or ethnicity. International reports suggest that fighting racism requires countering online intolerance, as hate online often leads into real world conflict.
Changing Beliefs and Cultural Shifts
A notable global trend is secularization. A large number of world population identify no religion. Pew Research (June 2025) finds the number of atheist has increased from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 1.9 billion in 2020, which is roughly 25% of the world’s population. In areas like Europe, North America, and East Asia, religious “switching,” particularly away from Christianity, is largely responsible for this increase. Nowadays, the majority of people in a number of nations (such as China, Japan, and several Western European nations) identify as atheist, agnostic, or “nothing in particular.” In many metropolitan places, younger generations are increasingly reporting that they are not attached, citing science and modern principles. While religion is still prevalent in some areas, faith is changing. Hinduism in particular has not disappeared globally. According to Pew, the number of Hindus grew by 126 million to about 1.2 billion between 2010 and 2020, keeping its share of the world population at 15%. Nearly all Hindus live in India and Nepal. As a result, the popularity of Hinduism continues to grow, even while modernizing pressures like urbanization and internet access may challenge long-standing traditions in places where the overwhelming population is Hindu. On the other hand, the reductions in indigenous faiths or lesser religions have been more noticeable in some areas.
Atheists, agnostics and those with no formal religion is continuously rising. This group is spreading mostly in rich countries. For example, in some European nations and North America, 40–60% of people now identify as atheist. Pew research found that atheism is increasing more than any religion ever did. Hinduism is still very much alive today in areas where it has historically been common. It grew significantly between 2010 and 2020 and is still the most common religion in Nepal and India. The assertion that Hinduism is “vanishing” ignores the reality that its followers are becoming more numerous. However, newer generations often lose their awareness of secular tendencies in the global diaspora (e.g., Hindu communities in Western countries).Even though surveys around the world show that traditional religious organizations of all kinds face challenges in the information age, Hindu cultural practices (festivals, temples) are still extensively observed in South Asia and beyond.
In conclusion, there are many intricate problems in contemporary society. There are unquestionable advantages to mobile devices, social media, and processed lives, but there are also obvious drawbacks, such as an increase in physical illnesses, mental stress, and societal polarization (with quantifiable rises in hate speech and youth suffering).Although crime and discrimination are still major issues in many countries, statistics do not always indicate that they are getting worse worldwide; in fact, long-term drops in crime have been observed in many nations even as racism and intolerance have gained more attention .Even if secularization is progressing, traditional religions like Hinduism continue to have sizable global followings. A few influential media and IT players have the ability to influence public opinion, according to experts, making the “controls” on information—algorithms, elites, and propaganda—real worries .Informed policies (such as screen-time limits and content filtering) and widespread public awareness are needed to buck these trends. In every field, authorities stress that evidence-based treatments, such as community assistance and digital literacy instruction, are more important than merely spreading conspiracy theories or panic in order to address mental health, crime, and societal divisions.
