Brian Jeffrey
Challenges Young People Face Today
Young individuals today are facing significant stress from both their academic and work lives, leading to anxiety about what lies ahead. The influence of social media exacerbates feelings of unworthiness, loneliness, and a lack of meaningful connections.
Surveys indicate a paradox: while many youth are active on social media platforms, this constant engagement leaves them feeling increasingly isolated. The large number of friends on networks like Facebook, Zalo, and TikTok does little to ameliorate this sense of loneliness.
According to experts, although these platforms allow users to engage in discussions and interact with others—often those they haven’t met in person—many young people struggle to form genuine friendships that provide support and understanding.
Image vs. Reality
There’s a growing trend of young individuals portraying inflated versions of their lives on social media. They often create false narratives to showcase wealth, education, and seemingly perfect lifestyles, a phenomenon referred to in Vietnam as ‘phong bat’ or pretentiousness.
As shared by Le Vu Long, a software engineer at 28, social media is largely a ‘virtual world’ where the authenticity of friendships and shared images is questionable. It can be difficult to discern whether these online connections are genuine or misleading.
The Illusion of Success
Ha emphasizes that many young people display excessive pride in their accomplishments, not only as a means of self-promotion but also due to feelings of inferiority—believing their peers have superior lives. This leads to a tendency to focus on fabricated successes while suppressing their struggles.
Seeing peers enjoying luxurious experiences, such as dining at upscale restaurants or owning expensive cars, often results in unhealthy comparisons. Many young people feel dissatisfaction with their own lives and may even resort to extreme measures to replicate such lifestyles.
Some may even engage in unethical or illegal activities in their pursuit of wealth, a dangerous path that can have severe consequences.
Furthermore, social media contributes to a phenomenon known as ‘fear of missing out’ (FOMO), making young people anxious about staying current and maintaining a social edge. This constant pressure leads to heightened stress levels.
