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Millennials may be the first generation to age online, but Gen Z successors have really grown with it and are barely logging out.

2018 Pew Research Center survey found that 95 percent of teens have access to a smartphone; 45 percent say they use the internet almost constantly. For many, social media has been a space for self-expression, entertainment, and connection.

However, as the use of social media increases among young people, depression, anxiety and suicide. While the relationship is not directly relational, there is evidence that some platforms exacerbate teen mental health issues; For example, internal research documents were leaked from Facebook. Wall Street Journal by whistleblower Frances Haugen, cited by Instagram as worsening body image issues for one in three teenage girls.

A March 2022 study In the study published in the scientific journal Nature, it was found that the relationship between social media use and mental health varies with age, but two windows where social media use is more likely to have a negative impact on adolescents’ well-being: at the onset of puberty and again around age 19.

Emma Lembke, a rising sophomore at Washington University in St. Louis, experienced these negative effects firsthand. That’s why he started Sign Out Gesture The project aims to encourage dialogue among young people who feel the negative effects of social media and want to adapt to social media.

In a phone call, 19-year-old Ms. Lembke talked about the movement she started, the pros and cons of social media, and how it’s working to loosen its impact on her well-being. Interview edited for clarity.

What was the first social network you joined?

I joined Instagram when I was 12 years old.

What was it like being on social media for you?

I was spending at least six hours a day on these apps, mindlessly navigating, absorbing all these unrealistic body standards. This resulted in disordered eating below the line. Going into these apps, especially Instagram, has become a terrible cycle of feeling worse about myself but feeling that I can’t stop scrolling because it has this weird power over me. Social media has served as a tool to reinforce negative qualities and emotions that I really don’t want to have.

Many recent news reports have highlighted the negative effects of social media on teenagers and their self-esteem. How did these stories affect your thinking about the project?

The first article I read that really sucked me in, How Smartphones Destroyed a Generation. I found study after study showing a possible association between increased use rates, as well as increased anxiety rates, suicide rates, and eating disorders monitoring.

What other factors triggered your decision to initiate the Sign Out Movement?

The strongest thing for me was not the studies. It was the lack of personal stories being told and the absence of an epicenter where people could come together and say, “Here’s my personal experience.” “That’s how I got hurt.” “These were accounts that made me feel worse.” I knew it was necessary. The genie is out of the bottle.

As members of Generation Z, we understand that social media has positive and negative aspects, but right now, it can be really harmful in its current use.

How does the Sign Out Gesture address these issues?

Through our podcast, a leadership council, an educational curriculum on how to use online spaces safely, and blogs, we discuss ways to advance technology and allow it to become a tool again rather than a controller.

What we want young people to do is speak freely about their experience so that we can educate legislators to understand the Gen Z perspective, what we need from technology, what privacy concerns we have, what mental health concerns we have. owner. We have an advocacy initiative through technology[nically] Politicsenforcing laws that help ensure that young people have a safe online experience, especially California Age Appropriate Design Code Bill.

Your website says you aim to promote healthy ways of being on social media, rather than asking people to log out altogether. What does healthy interaction with social media look like?

I know, I can’t log out completely for me. A healthy use of social media would be any interaction that the user feels is benefiting and not harming their health. It is to mentally log out for a moment and think about what makes you happiest and why you are on social media. If you don’t benefit at all, I will say that being on social media is the healthiest, and the healthiest habit is to log out.

Having some digital presence can feel inevitable in this day and age. It doesn’t have to consume everything, though. How did you set up your own relationship with social media? Which methods worked?

I delete Instagram whenever I go through a stressful period with exams. I know that during times of stress, I will tend to mindlessly use it as a coping method. Another thing that worked for me is Grayscale, which makes the phone only appear in black and white.

I always recommend Display Typeprovides solutions on how to limit screen time. i use Habit Lab for Chrome, which helps you reduce your online time. It creates some level of friction between you and addictive technology.

Are there any apps you particularly like?

Be realistic my favourite. At some point in the day, you’ll get a notification saying “Time to get real”. And whatever you’re doing, you’re taking a picture of it. It feels like a real moment of someone’s day.

What feedback have you received from other young people?

Someone spent six hours a day on social media and said his eyes hurt. As he descended, he said, he can see better now. It seems as if the world is much more open to him, both mentally and physically.

What changes have you seen in your own mental health as a result of limiting your social media consumption?

I am still dealing with my generalized anxiety disorder, OCD But I can tell you significantly, the symptoms especially around my body image have really decreased.

What is your ultimate goal with this effort?

I really hope this results in some kind of pivot that prioritizes the well-being of users in these online environments. Technology is ingrained in the DNA of our generation. It seeks to move towards regulation so that more systematic change can occur where individuals can feel better protected and find healthier habits.