On a late Thursday afternoon, Cameron Cobbin, a 20-year-old journalism student at the University of Nevada, Reno just got home from his class. He immediately sits on the couch in his apartment, opens his phone and begins scrolling through TikTok. Before he knows it, hours have passed.
It’s not lost on Cobbin how this constant usage drains his energy.
“I think for mental health, sometimes it just gives me insecurity issues. I’ll see guys with the perfect physique or someone being able to just remain active all the time,” Cobbin said.
Cobbin’s habits are far from unique. Across college campuses, Gen Z students spend hours online every day and for them, it’s considered normal, but it comes with hidden costs.
John Santana, a 19-year-old criminal law student from Las Vegas, said Gen Zs are chronically online.
“They are always on their phone, always on Instagrams, Snapchats. Man, it’s just normalized in this generation,” Santana said.
Some Gen Zs think they can be on their phones while also working on other tasks. But in reality, they focus on their screens more than anything else.
Aaron Boyson, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth, believes Gen Zs are set up to fail in this technologically developed world.
“The human brain is a master at switching tasks very fast. So it seems like you’re multitasking, but you’re really not. You’re just good at switching back and forth,” Boyson said.
The effects of chronic scrolling also impact productivity. Students report feeling fatigued, distracted and disconnected from people around them.
Soleiva Sarallano, an 18-year-old biology student from Las Vegas, has noticed these effects in her own life.
“The brain fog. It definitely makes me feel more sleepy and just like wanting to just stay in bed longer, it makes me feel less energetic,” Sarallano said.
With all these negative consequences of being constantly online, some students realize they need to take control of their own habits.
Log Off is a national movement focusing on getting youth to improve their online habits. They hope for young people to move away from screens and have in-person interactions instead.
Tariq Lawal with Log off said the organization hopes to help youth build healthy relationships with social media platforms.
“Log Off basically exists to help people see the negative impact that social media can have on them, and how to avoid those negative effects, which can affect their self-esteem, their mental health, their relationship with other people in their lives, and so much more, even their academics,” Lawal said.
As the sun begins to set outside of Cobbin’s apartment, he puts his phone down. He then reflected on lost time.
“Managing your time and being able to recognize when something is getting out of hand on social media and knowing how to de-escalate wherever you are,” Cobbin said.
