How social media exploits girlhood anxieties

追加: 2026-06-07

[00:00:00]We are joined by Freya India. She is the author of Girls Generation Z and the Commodification of Everything where she explains how social media and technology are exploiting girls anxieties. Scan the QR code on the screen to buy it today.

[00:00:13]It is a very informative read and Freya joins us now. She's also a contributing writer for the Free Press which is owned by our parent company Paramount. Freya, we're so happy that you're here. So, as we saw in this piece, you know, a lot of younger people are starting to try to take back the time that they have spent on their screens, and we're seeing this proliferation of these quote unquote grandma hobbies. Um, there was a stat that Kelly actually found this morning that found that 63% of Jenzers made it a point to try to get off and disconnect digitally, you know, according to a recent study. What do you think is driving this?

[00:00:46]>> That doesn't surprise me. I think that my generation is almost nostalgic for a time that we never knew. So, we are craving a time where you would flirt before Instagram DMs and sending Snapchats and you would have a first kiss before you've experienced porn on the internet or you'd experience friendship before it became posing with each other on Instagram or using as each other as props online. And I think that we're looking back and realizing that we missed out on a really simpler time that our grandmas would have experienced.

[00:01:17]>> Well, so I mean, what do you think that people can learn from some of these grandma hobbies? Also, that that's no shade to grandma cuz I know you are are >> check it out.

[00:01:28]>> Actually engaging.

[00:01:29]>> I got this mini crossstitch little kit and I started doing it and the the primary reason was because I was tired of being on my phone. I bought it before a flight. It's supposed to be a hamburger and this is where there are I mean we're getting there.

[00:01:42]>> I'm teaching we're growing.

[00:01:45]>> We're gonna continue uh continue on. But >> what do you think that people can learn?

[00:01:49]I I understand the nostalgia point, right? But what what do we gain from those types of things?

[00:01:53]>> I suppose with something like that, it's slowing down and being able to delay the gratification. I think there's something about having everything at your fingertips so fast, but there's no payoff and you don't feel anything um as a result of effort and putting energy into something. And it's the same even with hobbies to more serious things like relationships and flirting, everything that I just mentioned. We don't have the delayed gratification. It's almost too easy and too convenient that it's not as meaningful.

[00:02:21]>> It's so true. I think about that with my kids, too, trying to teach them delayed gratification because they live in the world where they don't have that. Yeah.

[00:02:26]What did you find when researching your book that's happening to girls and the impact of living this kind of digital life that we all do these days?

[00:02:34]>> I think my argument in the book is actually that girls are becoming something more like products rather than people where the goal of their life is not to have human experiences. It's to optimize themselves for the market. And they become so obsessed with these ratings and reviews that other people give them and marketing all of their memories. And I think that's so different.

[00:02:54]>> Marketing all of their memories. It's so true. You do something and the first thing you think is like, let me take a picture and put it online before I've even really locked in that memory.

[00:03:02]>> Yeah. And I think that's that's so different to what our grandmas and our mothers would have gone through. It's a totally different way of living in the world.

[00:03:09]>> So, what do you suggest for young girls and boys and their parents?

[00:03:12]>> Well, I think something like what we've seen is great. Being with people in real life and doing something like your crossstitch, doing something where you can slow down and be mindful. Um, and I think even just realizing that you're treating yourself like a product and how different this is and how unnecessary the pressure is, >> where where does the responsibility lie, right? Because I mean these these tech companies have created these these platforms. They need to make them more addictive to gain money to to you know prioritize their shareholders. We don't expect them to say well you know you can't control yourself, right? Or do you? Is it is it tech companies? Is it parents? Is it ourselves where the responsibility lies?

[00:03:48]>> Yeah, I think the responsibility lies with the tech companies. I think that's true, >> but I don't like to say to girls, just wait around until the tech companies change anything because I'm not convinced that they will. I don't think it's in their financial interest. And so, in the book, I try to operate off of the assumption that let's say there's nothing that can be done. We can't hold them responsible. What can you do now?

[00:04:09]And I hope that it by reading about how bad things have gotten, girls will almost be empowered to make their own decisions and make a change.

[00:04:16]>> But what's tough is the environment, right? If you're applying for a job, a lot of places want to know what is your digital pres presence? How many followers do you like? I've been asked that before, not here, but but somewhere else. And so there are these pressures as well that it's hard to balance.

[00:04:31]>> Yeah. Well, I have to write online. A big part of writing now is almost being like an influencer, which is difficult.

[00:04:37]But I think you can draw a line between commodifying your work and then commodifying yourself as a person. And and you know, that's the sharing of your personal life and giving all of that up.

[00:04:47]I think you can >> you can market your work and that's great, but marketing yourself as the product is what I worry about.

[00:04:52]>> Commodifying your work and not yourself.

[00:04:54]Freya >> dropping the bombs here. Old soul. I love it. All right, I will continue to inform you of how my crossstitch can handle.

[00:05:03]>> Yeah, I want one of those.

[00:05:05]All right, Frianda.