A different kind of illness
When I started this blog back in 2019, my goal was to bring to light what life is like for people living with severe, chronic, degenerative, invisible illnesses. It was about sharing my rather incredible journey with illnesses and surgeries with all of you so you could better understand what I was living with and hopefully raise awareness. But recently, something else that has nothing to do with my physical health has caught my attention—social media and what it is doing to the Gen-Z generation and, perhaps more urgently, to Generation Alpha. Gen-Z spans people born between 1997 and 2102 approximately. Gen Alpha kids were born somewhere between 2013 and the present.
From what I can tell, social media is apparently a necessary evil. These platforms have transformed how the world communicates and organizes, but have also become breeding grounds for cruel and hateful behaviour, not to mention the misinformation and disinformation that have become so pervasive. Elections are won or lost due to foreign influencers distributing false information on these platforms. How have we gotten here?
Breaking the Bird
Twitter was responsible for the Arab Spring. Nothing like it had ever existed before. I’m watching the CNN series, TWITTER: Breaking The Bird, and have learned that even the inventors of Twitter did not foresee how it would be used. No one ever considered that a platform such as Twitter could actually harm. I have a Twitter account, but have used it perhaps a dozen times. I never quite understood the concept of hashtags. I never adopted them. It just seemed pointless to me. Although I realize these tags have a purpose, I’m not interested in getting on board.
Twitter was officially rebranded as X on July 23, 2023, after Elon Musk announced the name change and replaced the iconic bluebird logo with the X logo. In the past 2 years, X has lost billions of dollars and millions of subscribers and is now the official loudspeaker for Elon’s highly questionable comments. A YouGov study revealed that 62% of daily users believe there's "too much freedom" to post offensive and harmful content. From what I have heard, the platform has become a cesspool and a voice for “hate speech.” People are moving away from it in droves. It went from saving an entire nation from oppression to becoming a safe space for haters and trolls. In summary, the past two years have been marked by X grappling with significant challenges, including brand identity issues, content moderation controversies, declining user trust, and fluctuating financial valuations. These factors collectively contribute to the platform's diminished reputation in the social media landscape.
Open for business
Instagram was first launched on October 6, 2010, as a photo-sharing app for iOS. The app quickly gained popularity, reaching 1 million users within two months. It has generally been adopted by Millennials, Gen Z, Gen X, and Gen Alpha, who have abandoned Facebook, the retirement home of platforms. Over time, Instagram evolved into a business platform. Instagrammers make money in several ways, depending on their audience size, niche, and engagement level:
- Sponsored Posts & Brand Deals
- Affiliate Marketing
- Selling Products or Services
- Subscriptions & Exclusive Content
- Instagram Badges
- Reels Bonus Program
- Licensing Content
Again, the inventors never imagined that the platform would evolve the way it has.
TikTok was launched in September 2016 by the Chinese company ByteDance under the name Douyin in China. I’ve already written a piece on TikTok, which you can read here. TikTok was initially intended to be a short-form video-sharing app focused on entertainment, lip-syncing, and creative content. It now includes Comedy & Skits, Educational Content, Challenges and Trends, DIY & Hacks, and Vlogging & Storytelling. Like Twitter, I have an account, but I never use it. 90% of what ends up in my feed is SPAM. It’s filled with useless videos, in my opinion. It really has no redeeming quality. But, like Instagram, people are running businesses on TikTok. So, to those entrepreneurs, I guess it does have a redeeming quality. But at what cost?
To be transparent, I’m 54 years old, and I’ve been using Facebook to keep in touch with family and friends and to share my blog posts for many years. I think of all the platforms, Facebook is the least evil. Facebook is the preferred platform of Boomers and Gen X. Yes, the “fact-checking” team was recently abolished on Facebook, leaving room for people to post misinformation and disinformation, which is concerning. Will Facebook become another Twitter (X)?
What is going on?
Now that I have shared a basic overview of the most popular platforms, I’d like to address the elephant in the room: what this is doing to us collectively. Kids are being cyberbullied on all these platforms, with emojis having specific meanings that are intended to be hurtful and cruel. They are committing suicide as a result of cyberbullying.
I don’t know very much about all of this—parts of this article were researched on ChatGPT. However, as an outside observer, I am seeing the social decline. I started watching a Netflix series called “Adolescence”— a 2025 British crime drama miniseries that follows a 13-year-old, Jamie Miller, who is arrested for the murder of his classmate, Katie Leonard. The series explores Jamie's troubled journey through the criminal justice system, delving into themes of online radicalization, toxic masculinity, and the profound impact of social media on young minds. Notably, each of the four episodes is filmed in a single continuous take, enhancing the immersive experience.
According to a co-creator: “One of our aims was to ask, ‘What is happening to our young men these days, and what are the pressures they face from their peers, from the internet, and social media?’ And the pressures that come from all of those things are as difficult for kids here as they are the world over.”
The 13-year-old boy is being cyberbullied. He’s being accused of being an “Incel,” something I had to search on ChatGPT to understand. "Incel" stands for "involuntary celibate." It refers to individuals, usually men, who self-identify as being unable to form romantic or sexual relationships despite a desire to do so. I can’t imagine what it must feel like to be branded as an incel. It must be devastating.
I used ChatGPT to uncover 17 emojis used for bullying, harassment, or passive-aggressive behaviour. Seventeen!! Feel free to search: “Are there any emojis that are nefarious in nature?”
How is this ok?
Children, who are already so vulnerable and easily influenced, are allowed to have devices that expose them to extraordinarily vile and viral content and become a part of a virtual community that is ultimately rotting their brains and breaking their hearts. Childhood and adolescence are challenging enough as it is. I remember being a teenager. I remember genuine relationships, friends, teachers—real people having real encounters. There was no hiding behind email or texting. Things were dealt with (or ignored) in face-to-face interactions like we have been doing for 10,000 years. Having said that, I have appreciated the impact of a well-crafted email or text message in diffusing misunderstandings or conflict. People used to write letters and mail them or hand-deliver them. Email has just made it easier and faster.
What is happening to our kids?
I went to my pool to do my physiotherapy exercises, as I do several times a week. I'm usually alone, but this time, a young girl, probably 10 or 11 years old, was alone in the pool. Aside from the rules stating that an adult should supervise her, I found her interaction with her phone more disturbing. She was constantly fiddling with her phone while in the pool. She would get out, type something—probably post to Instagram or TikTok—and then get back in the water, phone in hand. She was glued to the screen, sometimes propping it up against a chair leg while recording herself in the pool. After a few seconds had passed, she would go back to the phone and post a video of herself in the pool. The girl was not “at the pool”—she was on her phone constantly. Today's kids think their lives are important and worth recording and sharing with the world. Really? Look at me; I’m in the pool—who cares?
Are we raising an army of self-absorbed, selfish individuals?
At one point, she started singing out loud, accompanying the music she was playing on her phone. (I was playing my own music on my phone, which I left on the pool's edge.) It was as if I were invisible. She had no qualms about how she was being perceived. This is NORMAL for this generation. They are immersed in their own little bubble. They have no “presence.” Life is passing them by, and they don’t even know it.
And just a couple of days ago, I saw her waiting for the elevator. She did a handstand, stood up, and pulled her phone to her face. I got on the elevator with her, and she began singing again. But there was no music. She was riveted to the screen and singing at the same time. Again, it was as if no one else was in the room. Now, admittedly, she may suffer from a mental health issue or be on the spectrum, as they say. I believe it's even more of a reason to keep her grounded in the real world.
When Steve Jobs and Apple invented the iPhone, they never imagined everything I have just described happening. It wasn’t even on their radar. I’ve had an iPhone since it was first introduced. It has changed how I live, but it has not taken over my life. I use the phone as intended. I can check emails, send text messages, play music, and browse the web. Hey, I can even make phone calls! It’s a feature this latest generation has forgotten exists. Of course, I occasionally check my Facebook and even post sometimes. But I’m very selective. I don’t post or repost garbage content.
The 10-second videos
So, to summarize, the point of this chapter is to sound the alarm. I am very concerned about how these new generations will function in the real world once they become adults. This is a crisis, and nothing is being done about it. Pandora’s box has been opened—and it’s too late. I suspect that there will be millions of very dysfunctional, sad, alone, and unhappy people in the next 10 to 20 years. As humans, nature never intended for us to have virtual identities. It was never intended that we would become addicted to 10-second videos and be glued to our screens for hours and hours every day. I spend a lot of time at my computer becuase I have to if I want to make a living. I’m not a plumber or an electrician—I’m a graphic designer. Our world is on screen. I do my work, and every few days, I check my Facebook to see if there is anything worth reading or viewing. I don't spend hours just cruising around on social media. I’ve got other things to do. I’m happy to have a Facebook account, but don’t abuse it.
Some of the co-creators of these platforms realized how toxic social media can be and have gone off the grid—for real. They have closed their accounts and started interacting with the world outside. What a breath of fresh air.
Social media has evolved into a double-edged sword—while it has revolutionized communication and business, it has also fueled misinformation, cyberbullying, and societal detachment. Platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok, once created for networking and entertainment, have instead contributed to mental health struggles, particularly among younger generations. The rise of toxic online behaviours, obsession with self-image, and addiction to short-form content raises concerns about how future generations will function in the real world. Once intended to connect people, social media now resembles an invisible illness, silently shaping human interaction in ways many never anticipated.
I called this chapter “Social Media: An Invisible Illness” because that’s precisely what it is—an invisible illness affecting millions. Perhaps this will all come to a head eventually, and we will be forced to start over. Newsflash: we’re not getting it right—something has to happen.
I leave you today with a chilling cover by Johnny Cash of the song "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails. This haunting song captures self-destruction, regret, and the toll of addiction.
Written by Patrick Franc - Your Friendly Neighbourhood Bionic Man
Ray
Great reading! As a senior, I struggle to keep up with so-called social media technology advances. Some of the platforms mentioned in this article are frustrating and, possibly, dangerous - especially for youngsters that are addicted to them. Always look forward to reading your articles…