Natural or Induced Anxienty

The influence of social media on the mental health of developing youth

Abstract

The article presents a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive literature review on the impacts of prolonged digital exposure and dopamine-driven design in digital platforms on the mental health of Generation Z. The study examines how algorithms and stimuli linked to the dopaminergic system shape user behavior, highlighting dopamine as the molecule of desire and reinforcing cycles of instant gratification. This mechanism intensifies digital dependency and leads to overstimulation, which undermines cognitive capacity, fragments attention, and increases social isolation. As a result, there is a growing incidence of psychological disorders among young people, affecting their adaptation and performance in the labor market. The article concludes that it is urgent to develop IT governance models guided by ethics and psychological well-being, promoting conscious technology management. Such an approach aims to preserve the social and professional stability of young individuals in an increasingly hyperconnected society.