Issue 01 - Loneliness

It was a relief to no longer be constantly confronted with visuals of white teeth and Gucci belts
and vacations to remote Grecian islands. It was a relief to accept myself without Facetune or
filters, to not conceal the cystic acne scars which remind me that I am indeed still a teenager.
It was a relief to be exempt from the calculated portrayals which innately disagree with who I
am as a writer. No longer did I have to sacrifice authenticity for digital approval, or even
subdue my healthy sense of self-deprecation. Documenting each tragic mistake and act of
charming naivety allows for reflection, a virtue which does not currently appear to be resonant
with social media use. Take for example, Hopelab’s sponsored national survey of more than
1,300 U.S. teens and young adults which found that, “social media users are somewhat more
likely to agree than disagree that they feel like they always have to show the best version of
themselves on social media, with 53% agreeing. A majority (57%) reported feeling like other
people are doing better than they are (15% often feel that way when using social media).”
The aim here is not to point out all of Generation Z’s shortcomings, nor to suggest that I’m by
any means absolved from contemporary technological culture. It is simply to draw attention to
the increasing importance of social media in young adults’ identity formation and the means
by which different age groups utilize it differently. Is “social media” indeed being used for
social purposes, or is this a term that masks the behavior of teenagers obsessed with self
image? Should we reevaluate the perceived legitimacy behind modern online interactions?
Are social media’s benefits fleeting or long-term? These are the types of questions we at
Hopelab are asking. It is my hope that older generations, particularly those individuals who
build technologies to be disseminated across young audiences, confront these uncertainties
head on.
FEATURED ARTIST:
CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CHANG
Christopher is 20 years old and lives in San Francisco, CA. He spends much of his time
arranging words and fulfilling dog dad responsibilities. On the weekends he is likely to be
found reviving dead houseplants or scouting for new thrift spots in the city.
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