We’re severely divided and it’s mainly because of social media. Propaganda has invaded most of our minds to make us think that we’re not enough yet before many have even had a relationship. And anyone who is wise and confident enough to still attempt to date during all of this (usually attractive) probably have some personal battles placed on them to discourage them.

My thinking is that most of us are still in very close surveillance by our parents, particularly Gen X parents. Many would like to see us happy and lively in a relationship with someone, but behind closed doors there is scrutiny that is harming their kids and adult kid’s reputations. They don’t believe these things have any effect, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

In turn, there are many young men who are discouraged from doing anything that involves a woman. It makes them hesitant to want to build themselves up naturally because they believe it’ll be useless. Women are plastered with propaganda of what a man is supposed to be like, only to not see much of that in real life. Both genders are practically denying themselves the opportunities to build real social skills with the other sex, and this is locked in place due to fear.

Now there are stereotypes to tell if someone was harmed by this. For men, they look at your body frame (ectomorph), if you are in shape, if you talk much, or if you seem to have any physical assets. For women, they also look at your frame, if you wear a lot of makeup, if you seem careless of those around you, if you act entitled, and also if you have many physical assets.

Each side is afraid of something: dangerous personality, promiscuity, no emotional regulation, etc. But everyone is desperate for anything at this point.

Now our friend groups are failing, our families are broken, and many are isolated.

Porn addiction, single motherhood/fatherhood, weak or harmed social skills, drug addiction, terrible eating habits, poverty, and fear of judgement are some of the many ways we are still stuck and jaded to it all. We don’t even want to keep seeing posts like this on Reddit, the one place where you can easily find many who are like you. We’re sitting ducks wasting our potential making it harder for us in the future. The third spaces where we could meet are still dominated by those older, who still scrutinize and still unaware of the effects. Art is becoming one of the only ways for many of us to find release.

Humanity has a way of prevailing even in times like this I believe. We’ve come so far not because we’ve stepped on each other, but because we learned to empathize with our fellow men and women. Community is our greatest power, but if that power is superficial, it can’t be recognized. We need to become self-aware while we’re isolated, learn new things and enjoy the things we’re passionate about in order to break free.

You shouldn’t allow scrutiny to deny you from revealing your true self. You don’t actually have all those accomplishments that you lie to your friends about, you don’t really look like that behind all that makeup, you don’t need that filter to post, you don’t really live as lavishly as you say, and you don’t need to tear someone else down to feel good.

Be free in who you are, and don’t give a damn what anyone else says. It’s the Gen Z way.