With the increasing amount of internet and social media users yearly, a dark truth is beginning to emerge. A truth which shows that the very apps and websites that were built to bring humanity together are driving the young people of today apart.
It is near impossible to deny the cultural significance that apps such as twitter, TikTok and instagram have on the world’s population, but beneath the surface level glamours of likes and trends, the true nature of these apps’ effect on their young and impressionable user base comes to light. The greatest offender is none other than TikTok, which is predicted to have an incredible 955.3 Million users by 2025. With current studies estimating the teen user base as being 27.37% of it’s whole, the impact it has on young people everywhere cannot be understated.
Even on a surface level, the polarising nature of the app is as clear as day. Simply take a look at the platforms two most followed accounts, khaby.lame and charlidamelio, both wielding impressive follower counts of over a hundred million. The divide on the apps’ users over these two accounts is notable, some going so far as to describe their race to the top as an all out war. With users desperately watching one over take the other, with no real goal, volumes are spoken to the users’ desires to rip each other to shreds for no reason other than that’s what everyone else is doing. Who can really blame them, however, with an algorithm designed to shovel more and more content down their throats. An algorithm that pushes individuality and fiercely protective subcultures, and encourages a constant cycle of trends, each one more pretentious and egotistical than the last.
Communities of teenagers are pitted against one another, all operating under a misconstrued idea that they are bolstering the spirit of the apps users, and serving justice to those who need it. Infighting and drama has become a staple of the app, and with the user bases’s love to tear people apart based on the smallest offence or misdemeanour, a simple scroll on the app now feels like a trip to a Roman Gladiatorial arena. With user’s warring over song lyrics and clothing styles, generation Z feels more divided than ever before. Whilst the app can serve as a force for good, it’s impressionable young audience is being pushed to see arguments and attacks as the only way to solve problems. Natalie, one of the apps teen users, says, “I think it’s brought a strange kind of cult ideology.” Young people should be coming together, not driving each other further apart.
Despite the incredible things that social media has been able to push into he public eye, or achieve through communal effort on the apps, if the young people of today don’t find a way to see pass the division encouraged by social media, things like that will become more and more unattainable. It’s time for a wakeup call, and a lot of reflection, before it’s too late.
