Growing Up Online – Is Social Media Helping or Hurting Gen Z? Are we Raising or Breaking a Generation?

So I think we're going to tap right into the work that you do and all the past work that you've done with the younger generation.

So let's start.

I want to start by simply asking that, you know, everyone kind of has no choice but to be closer to technology has become such a big part of our lives in some way.

Maybe some generations, you know, what I call our digital migrants versus digital natives.

So you're somewhere on one end of the spectrum versus somewhere where we're continuously on technology.

Let me start by just asking, given the work that you've done in the past and especially now in the role now, What about Gen Z makes them so closer to wanting and having technology in their life that the other generations are perhaps not seeing or doing?

Yeah, well, Gen Z was really born into this.

We use the term digital natives to describe their experience.

And where my generation, I'm a millennial born in 85.

So I definitely remember when I got my first cell phone, when I used AIM for the first time and chatting with friends, when I used Google for the first time to help write a paper in high school.

I remember vividly When we went from this, you know, sort of very analog experience to a much more digital environment.

For the younger generation, Gen Alpha and Gen Z, they've been born with this technology and the advances in technology at their very, you know, it's been from a part of their experience from birth.

And so they've been operating in this really hybrid environment, right? It's not thinking about, you know, this is my online life and persona and friend network.

And this is my in real life persona and life and friend network.

But it's really thinking about both of those things.

They are living a very hybrid existence.

And so, you know, just it's a very different way of upbringing and a different set of tools.

And I think For us, for folks in academia that are researching these issues, for technologists that are building products, I think it's important that we, and certainly something that we try to do at Pinterest is to operate with radical clarity about to what end are we building these products and what ultimate value or problem are we looking to solve for users, including younger users.

And I think where things have kind of gotten, you know, a bit off track is in, you know, sucking the attention away from a young person's life and the ability to build those really rich, valuable things.

physical, in-person, in real life connections that are so important to, you know, achieving success in one's life, to finding fulfilling relationships, to advancing in one's career, being able to engage in both the digital environment and in the in real life environment.

is so important to our maturation and life experience.

And so I think operating with radical clarity for technology companies and for users of technology products about what's the value that this ultimately drives is what will lead us to better outcomes, not just for young generations, but for all users.

Yes, you make a good point.