4 ms·

Gen Z is facing a 'fringe friend' crisis

4 points by laurex 3y ago

happymellon 3y ago
> In a last-ditch attempt to make a connection, Moses went to the place where socializing for Gen Z lives these days: TikTok. That's not socialising. We have seriously failed the next generation if they think that Tiktok, YouTube, Insta, Discord, Facebook, etc. is socialising. If it isn't IRL then it isn't socialising. You might be shit at sport, but the local football/soccer/rugby/hockey/tag/kabaddi group are unlikely to care. You'll probably get better at it, but you'll also find that a lot of them are there for the human interaction and team sports are great for that. Do it a few times and you'll start to see faces you recognise in the local store that you'll have interacted enough in person that you'll be able to say "hi" in passing. You'll be in WhatsApp groups where you can pose a question about finding a local plumber, and it won't be complete randos that respond. Failing that, book clubs where you get together to talk about the books that you read, or even just get together to drink tea or wine. The key is interaction, so I'm not going to suggest film clubs and other passive mediums unless there is interaction with the other afterwards to discuss the film, and hopefully get off topic.
- fragmede 3y ago
  socializing doesn't have to be IRL anymore thanks to all this technology. passively doom scrolling on TikTok or Instagram, contributing nothing isn't socializing, agreed. But there's a wealth of digital social interaction happening online in discords and private slacks and mattermosts. it's not the same as having irl friends, but it augments them with people that are into the same things you are that would be unlikely to find irl. it's not your grandparents socializing but it is actually socializing.
  - happymellon 3y ago
    This is a really tone deaf response considering you're commenting on an article where people are interacting online yet feeling lonely. My point was that they are talking about people who feel lonely so go to Tiktok. That's not socialising. That's great that you use chat to organise your gatherings, but that just repeats my comment.

4 points by laurex 3y ago

> In a last-ditch attempt to make a connection, Moses went to the place where socializing for Gen Z lives these days: TikTok. That's not socialising. We have seriously failed the next generation if they think that Tiktok, YouTube, Insta, Discord, Facebook, etc. is socialising. If it isn't IRL then it isn't socialising. You might be shit at sport, but the local football/soccer/rugby/hockey/tag/kabaddi group are unlikely to care. You'll probably get better at it, but you'll also find that a lot of them are there for the human interaction and team sports are great for that. Do it a few times and you'll start to see faces you recognise in the local store that you'll have interacted enough in person that you'll be able to say "hi" in passing. You'll be in WhatsApp groups where you can pose a question about finding a local plumber, and it won't be complete randos that respond. Failing that, book clubs where you get together to talk about the books that you read, or even just get together to drink tea or wine. The key is interaction, so I'm not going to suggest film clubs and other passive mediums unless there is interaction with the other afterwards to discuss the film, and hopefully get off topic.

fragmede 3y ago
socializing doesn't have to be IRL anymore thanks to all this technology. passively doom scrolling on TikTok or Instagram, contributing nothing isn't socializing, agreed. But there's a wealth of digital social interaction happening online in discords and private slacks and mattermosts. it's not the same as having irl friends, but it augments them with people that are into the same things you are that would be unlikely to find irl. it's not your grandparents socializing but it is actually socializing.
- happymellon 3y ago
  This is a really tone deaf response considering you're commenting on an article where people are interacting online yet feeling lonely. My point was that they are talking about people who feel lonely so go to Tiktok. That's not socialising. That's great that you use chat to organise your gatherings, but that just repeats my comment.