According to a poll of 430 first-time Gen-Z voters by Stanford Deliberative Democracy, most of them are opposed to putting regulations on social media usage. 61% of these first-time voters say that it shouldn't be necessary for under 16 kids to seek consent of their parents to use social media. 88% said that there shouldn't be any time restrictions on social media usage and they should be able to receive social media notifications despite what time it is.
We all know that Gen-Z are the largest users of many social media apps like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, etc. Lawmakers and regulators have taken years to come up with appropriate rules for social media usage among young people to prevent them from any negative or harmful content. But now as these young people are approaching the age where they can vote, they are trying to get rid of these policies and the influence they have on them.
Since 2022 midterm elections in America, 8 million Gen-Z have reached the age for voting and by 2028, they will increase by 25%. It means that no one can stop Gen-Z from raising their voices against political and social issues. Moreover, they are living in an era of technological advancements where they can easily use the internet, AI and social media to affect electoral politics.
Helena, a non-profit group that helped support the study, and Stanford collaborated with leading universities to find what Gen-Z think about social media, AI and mental health. The study was named "America in One Room: The Youth Vote". Gen-Z have grown up with social media like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, but these apps are reported to have severe mental effects on users. The U.S senate passed a Kids Online Safety Act recently that asked social media apps to make their platforms safer for kids. Some states have also proposed other restrictions, like asking for parents permission to use social media for kids under 16.
Rebekah Bushmire, an America in One Room participant and first-time voter from Peachtree City, Georgia said that mental health issues are the most concerning parts of social media usage. She said that she's been using social media apps like Instagram and TikTok since middle school and they have made her obsessive and addictive.
Even with understanding these negative effects social media apps can have on young people, Gen-Z aren't in favor of applying restrictions on them. No participant is in favor of applying age requirements, time limits and digital literacy training on social media. No matter how many restrictions the government applies on social media usage, youngsters aren't going to give up on them because they are their “lifeline”.
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We all know that Gen-Z are the largest users of many social media apps like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, etc. Lawmakers and regulators have taken years to come up with appropriate rules for social media usage among young people to prevent them from any negative or harmful content. But now as these young people are approaching the age where they can vote, they are trying to get rid of these policies and the influence they have on them.
Since 2022 midterm elections in America, 8 million Gen-Z have reached the age for voting and by 2028, they will increase by 25%. It means that no one can stop Gen-Z from raising their voices against political and social issues. Moreover, they are living in an era of technological advancements where they can easily use the internet, AI and social media to affect electoral politics.
Helena, a non-profit group that helped support the study, and Stanford collaborated with leading universities to find what Gen-Z think about social media, AI and mental health. The study was named "America in One Room: The Youth Vote". Gen-Z have grown up with social media like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, but these apps are reported to have severe mental effects on users. The U.S senate passed a Kids Online Safety Act recently that asked social media apps to make their platforms safer for kids. Some states have also proposed other restrictions, like asking for parents permission to use social media for kids under 16.
Rebekah Bushmire, an America in One Room participant and first-time voter from Peachtree City, Georgia said that mental health issues are the most concerning parts of social media usage. She said that she's been using social media apps like Instagram and TikTok since middle school and they have made her obsessive and addictive.
Even with understanding these negative effects social media apps can have on young people, Gen-Z aren't in favor of applying restrictions on them. No participant is in favor of applying age requirements, time limits and digital literacy training on social media. No matter how many restrictions the government applies on social media usage, youngsters aren't going to give up on them because they are their “lifeline”.
Read next:
• Can Modern Smartphones Be Repaired and To What Extent? This Study Says It All
• 94% of Executives Embrace AI: Industrial Sector Sees Workforce Transformation
