In the history of human communication, no generation has been as vibrant, fast-changing, and multidimensional as Gen Z. They have grown up with screens, matured within a constant stream of information, and learned to interpret reality through digital windows. Yet amid this vast connectivity, a pressing question emerges: are they truly discovering themselves, or gradually losing the very foundation of their identity?
The post-COVID ‘new normal’ has made this transformation even more visible. Multimedia once supplemented education; today, it has become its backbone. The teacher–student relationship is now screen-mediated – visible and audible, yet untouchable. Parents who once hesitated to hand over smartphones to their children now do so in the name of education. Children are rapidly acquiring digital skills, but within this acceleration lies an invisible dependency.
We have entered a new cultural paradigm where likes, shares, views, and virality define success. The pursuit of knowledge has turned into a competition for attention. In this age of the attention economy, content is no longer the most valuable asset – human attention is. What we learn matters less than what we watch and how long we stay engaged with it. The prolonged isolation during COVID intensified this shift. With universities and educational institutions closed, a generation spent its most formative social years confined indoors. Though digitally connected, they were detached from real-life experiences. Now they have returned to campuses, but they carry within them a quiet emptiness.
This culture of instant gratification was recently highlighted by Bangladesh’s Education and Primary Education Minister, Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon. On April 26, he remarked, “We cannot be dependent on Facebook. Facebook has become like instant coffee.” This is more than a metaphor. It reflects the psychology of our time. Just as instant coffee is quickly made, this Facebook-driven generation consumes information rapidly and reacts instantly. But how deep is that knowledge or emotion? This ‘instant culture’ is pushing our thinking, education, and relationships toward haste, where depth is replaced by fleeting excitement.
The impact is particularly visible in the relationships of young people. Friendship is no longer built through shared experiences or conversations; it is confined to chats, stories, and reels. Being active online has become proof of connection. Yet, the absence of real-life interaction is eroding their social skills, empathy, and patience. They are connected, but emotionally alone. Children are the most silent victims of this shift. They are growing up in environments where adults themselves are absorbed in screens. As a result, they are not learning how to express emotions or listen attentively. This deficit may weaken the very structure of future social relationships.
Step into a teenager’s room today – you will often find dusty bookshelves, while endless short videos play on a glowing screen. Attention spans have shrunk from 30 seconds to 15; thinking itself has become a shortcut version. At an age when children once read storybooks, they now scroll endlessly, aimlessly, tirelessly. Short-video culture is eroding patience. Long arguments, analysis, or books no longer attract attention. Instead, the mindset has become: “Explain everything in one minute.” As a result, complex thinking and critical analysis are gradually becoming irrelevant. Another alarming trend is the rise of ‘performative life.’ Life is no longer lived – it is displayed. Birthdays are not about joy, but good photos. Travel is not about experience, but content. Friendship is not about bonding, but tagging. Even sorrow becomes content. People pause to consider whether their tears are post-worthy.
The influence of media celebrities now extends beyond style. It shapes behaviour and values. Seeing the rapid rise of YouTubers and TikTokers, many young people believe success lies not in effort, but in going viral. As a result, they are willing to engage in risky stunts, controversial acts, or inappropriate content for attention. Even real-life relationships are now scripted by the media. Love is expected to be cinematic; friendship must be viral. Emotions are no longer felt first – they are learned as performances.
New media is no longer just a medium; it is a constructor of reality. We now live in a media-mediated reality, where what is most visible is perceived as truth. Emotions spread faster than facts. Within this environment emerges the ‘clout chaser’ – someone driven by instant visibility. Depth no longer matters; virality does.
At the heart of all these changes lies a profound crisis of identity. Global media is pushing young people toward imagined lifestyles that do not align with their reality. This dream is not rooted in their own culture; it is borrowed and constructed by the media. Gradually, they become detached from their roots.
This issue is further complicated by the context of the Global South. As a developing country, Bangladesh is undergoing rapid digital transformation, but without a parallel development of critical thinking, cultural confidence, or media literacy. Global media influences enter through imitation, but fail to align with local realities. Young people in the Global South thus live in a form of ‘digital duality’- caught between limited material conditions and limitless imagined lives. This contradiction deepens the gap between aspiration and reality, intensifying the crisis of identity.
In Bangladesh, this reality is particularly significant. Nearly one-third of the population is young, and mobile connections exceed the total population. This generation is effectively growing up within screens. Research suggests that technology keeps people connected, yet alone, and digital identity increasingly replaces real identity.
So, the question remains: where are we heading?
A generation once shaped by Sukumar Ray’s imagination, Rabindranath’s humanism, Nazrul’s rebellion, the heroism of Shahnameh, or the moral complexities of the Mahabharata and Ramayana is now giving way to something else. It feels as though a weary humanity, after a long journey, is searching for refuge. But that refuge is no longer found in the eyes of a Banalata Sen. Instead, it pauses before a glowing blue screen. Gradually, this new generation is making a small touchscreen the centre of its knowledge, joy, relationships, and dreams; the mobile phone is becoming their new pole star – guiding their path, yet at the end of that path there is no Banalata Sen, no restful gaze, no place to pause. Only endless scrolling, tired eyes, and a deep, silent loneliness.
The writer is an Associate Professor, Communication and Journalism, University of Chittagong. Email: [email protected]
