What if social is more dangerous for boomers than for Gen Z?

Many of the developers who designed the feeds of the most popular social networks have not hidden that they designed them to be addictive, that is, to keep users connected as long as possible. The same algorithms of various social networks are developed to learn what interests users, in order to offer them more and more content of that type – without interruptions, so as not to give them the opportunity to get distracted. This type of consumption is called doomscrolling, and it also exploits another unconscious psychological phenomenon: automaticity. Scrolling is now such a familiar action that for some people it becomes difficult to stop. Another psychological mechanism that comes into play when scrolling has to do with the search for rewards: knowing that a rewarding piece of content could soon be found drives users to continue scrolling. All of these techniques, in some individuals, contribute to fueling what is informally called "Internet addiction". However, it is thought that people who have a problematic relationship with technology are almost exclusively teenagers, but this is not always the case. The way social media is designed potentially affects all generations, even though some are more vulnerable than others. Gen Z, for example, having grown up with technology, has developed a greater familiarity with digital dynamics, making them more capable of becoming aware of the mechanisms aimed at keeping users on the feed as long as possible.

In some cases, people who have had less exposure to technology, such as the so-called boomers, tend to be more vulnerable. Although much is often said about the negative effects of social media on young people's mental health, it is possible that Gen Z is actually better prepared to manage the risks associated with their use. Unlike older people, many young people have developed a critical approach to social networks and no longer underestimate them as they used to – unlike older adults. A growing number of teenagers are implementing strategies to limit the use of individual platforms. Something, in fact, can be done to try to escape the infinite scrolling: a trick suggested to all people who are somehow dependent on their smartphones is to set the screen to grayscale, because the bright colors of screens stimulate our brains; another involves using a timer to limit app usage time.

Does Internet addiction really exist?

The first discussions among psychologists about the possibility that new technologies could cause addiction date back to the 1990s. Since then, especially as most people started spending much more time online and on social networks, there has been a lot of talk about Internet addiction. However, in the scientific community, there is no real consensus on the existence of the phenomenon, and many argue that there is not yet enough evidence to classify the phenomenon among other behavioral addictions – like gambling addiction. According to skeptics, it would be more correct to speak of addiction to specific content, which used to take place offline and later developed online with similar characteristics. Specifically, it is believed that there is rarely an addiction to smartphones or computers as tools, but rather to the content and activities that can be done through the Internet. Various experts then tend to interpret Internet abuse as a symptom of underlying disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder or attention deficit disorder. Some think that the so-called "Internet addiction" is actually also linked to a generational misunderstanding regarding the role that the online dimension plays in everyday life. In Italy, there are about a hundred centers – both public and private – that help people suffering from "Internet addiction", and according to the National Institute of Health, in 2023, at least 3,600 people were being treated in these facilities.