Breathe
By Laura Carrera
In recent decades, emotions have taken on an unprecedented prominence in our lives. Before, it seemed that talking about emotions was a luxury or something reserved for writers of novels and poets, but today they are the center of many conversations.
This shift reflects how we have come to understand that our emotions drive our decisions, our relationships and, ultimately, our happiness. But along with this boom, a concern has also arisen: is our younger generation an "anxious generation"?
Emotions have always been with us, but, for a long time, society relegated them to the background, particularly in the world of masculinity. Reason, discipline and duty seemed to be the only valid guides through life. Now, however, we understand that these invisible emotions have always been there, influencing how we think, act and live.
Today, thanks to neuroscience and psychology, we know that ignoring our emotions is not a viable option if we want to lead a fulfilling life.
The popularization of the concept of emotional intelligence has played a fundamental role. Knowing how to recognize, understand and manage our emotions and those of others is a fundamental skill in life. This has led to the incorporation of emotional education programs in schools, which was unthinkable a few decades ago; in Mexico, for example, it was introduced in educational plans in 2017. At the same time, companies now value emotional intelligence as a key competency in their employees. This cultural shift is a great advance, but it also poses a challenge: what do we do with this new emotional awareness in a world that seems more complicated than ever?
This is where social psychologist Jonathan Haidt's concept of the "anxious generation" comes in. This term is used to describe young people facing alarming levels of anxiety, depression and other mental disorders. It is no coincidence that this coincides with the rise of social media. Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok have transformed the way young people interact, communicate and construct their identity. While they offer great benefits, they also impose an enormous emotional burden.
Imagine a teenager constantly bombarded with images of "perfect" lives and subjected to an endless cycle of social comparison. Social media not only amplifies insecurities, but also creates a constant need for validation through likes and comments. This is compounded by cyberbullying and the pressure to always be available, which can trigger serious mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
And it's not just perceptions. Research has shown that excessive use of social networks is linked to an increase in mental health problems in teenagers. However, it is also true that the relationship between the use of these platforms and mental health is complex. Factors such as intention to use, time spent and personal characteristics may mediate this impact.
This is where the Australian government's recent proposal comes in, which seeks to ban access to social networks for children under the age of 16. The idea, presented recently, aims to protect children and teenagers from the potential harms associated with the use of these platforms, such as online bullying and mental health problems. The law proposes significant financial penalties for platforms that allow minors to create accounts, even if they have parental consent.
This project has generated an intense debate. On the one hand, there are those who see this measure as a necessary solution to curb the mental health crisis among young people. On the other hand, there are those who question whether banning is really the answer or whether we should instead educate young people to use these tools more consciously. In addition, there are doubts about how this law will be implemented and how users' privacy will be protected.
Beyond social networks, the biggest challenge lies in how we are raising our young generations. In many cases, we have overprotected children in the real world and left them unprotected in the virtual world. There are even parents who brag about how their month-old child knows how to search for the networks they like or how the five-year-old wants to become a tiktoker. This leaves them especially vulnerable to the emotional challenges of the digital environment.
So what is the way forward? Perhaps the answer lies not just in banning, but in balancing. We need to teach young people how to manage their emotions, how to identify the effects that networks have on their well-being and how to cultivate a healthier relationship with technology. At the same time, we must be aware that we adults are also learning along the way. After all, no one taught us how to manage this digital reality.
It is true that we live in an era where emotions have an unprecedented prominence, but it is also an unprecedented opportunity to get to know ourselves better and build a more emotionally intelligent society. If we manage to accompany this protagonism with education, awareness and action, perhaps we can not only alleviate the burden of our "anxious generation", but also prepare a more balanced future for everyone.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
Comments ()