If you were a kid growing up in the early 00s, you might have been scolded by your parents on more than one occasion after they caught you browsing the internet or texting in the middle of the night. It's a generational struggle that Gen Z is also grappling with.
The concept of digital minimalism has been gaining popularity in recent years, and according to ExpressVPN in a recent survey, younger generations seem more aware but have a harder time limiting their screen time.
Author Cal Newport explains in his book Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World that digital minimalism is about maximizing the value you obtain from digital communication tools rather than engaging in as much content as possible.
In the survey, 4,000 individuals of different generations answered questions about their daily digital habits. The results showed that, unsurprisingly, both Millenials and Gen Z are the most conscious generations when it comes to their digital consumption but also the ones that struggle the most to lower it.
17% of Gen Z and 18% of Millenials state they can limit their screen time daily with no issues. Additionally, 29% and 33%, respectively, said they are "mostly good" at doing so. However, these two generations also scored the highest when it comes to struggling with limiting their digital habits.
For Gen Z, 28% of those surveyed believe it is too hard to address their issues, while the same is true for 25% of Millenials. In comparison, only 12% of Baby Boomers struggle with limiting their screen time per day.
As you might expect, smartphones are the most used devices and the hardest to cut back on usage, with 61% of the respondents believing so. Television is a distant second at 23%, followed by laptops/PCs at 21%, tablets at 12%, video games consoles at 6%, and VR headsets at the last 1%.
The younger generation craves being part of the conversation, whether it's a new game launch, a viral post on social media, or discussing the latest episode of that new hit show, everyone's talking about. FOMO (fear of missing out) is at the top of the list of reasons why users can't stop using the different devices they are constantly glued to.
Some video game developers have been criticized for taking advantage of the FOMO phenomenon. Live-service titles have been the biggest culprits.
To engage players, games such as Fortnite, Apex Legends, or Destiny 2 have limited-time content, such as battle passes with rewards that expire after a set amount of time. Even if players decide to spend their hard-earned money, they'll still have to dedicate dozens of hours to unlock every reward.
Luckily, developers like Epic Games are taking steps to become more consumer-friendly, as they recently announced that Fortnite skins debuting via battle passes will be available for players who missed out on them at a later date.
As you can see, the struggle of younger generations to limit their online time is accurate. However, there's a glimmer of hope as more and more users grow aware of the issues of being terminally online and are, hopefully, taking the correct steps to change their habits.
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