Media-engaged youth
Dr Mudassar Hussain
Jean Twenge says, “The rise of smartphones and social media has made today’s generation the first to grow up with an online persona from a very young age.”
Youth today are heavily shaped by their engagement with media, technology and cultural trends, which influence their identities and behaviors. Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, is known as Digital Natives, having grown up with smartphones, social media and constant internet access, shaping their media consumption patterns. Generation Alpha, born from 2013 onwards, is exposed to digital learning and artificial intelligence from an early age, while Millennials (born 1981–1996) were the first to embrace the internet and social media platforms like Facebook.
Media habits today have led to specific labels, such as the Influencer Generation (Gen Z and Alpha), representing those creating online content, and Hashtag Activists (primarily Gen Z), who use social media for activism. The rise of streaming, virtual reality and fan culture has led to new subcultures like Streamers, Metaverse Natives, and Stan Culture, with Gen Z and Alpha leading the charge. These labels reflect how youth consume, create, and interact with digital content, influencing their media engagement.
In Pakistan, media engagement among youth is growing rapidly, but it comes with significant challenges. Digital addiction has led to mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, while misinformation spreads quickly due to a lack of media literacy. Cyberbullying, privacy concerns and exposure to harmful content also pose risks for Pakistani youth, along with political manipulation and online distractions that hinder academic progress.
The media environment in Pakistan also faces challenges related to cultural and religious sensitivities, as modern digital trends sometimes conflict with traditional values. Limited access to digital resources, particularly in rural areas, creates an economic digital divide, limiting equal opportunities for media engagement. There is also a lack of digital literacy, which prevents youth from critically analyzing media, further exacerbating the challenges of navigating online spaces responsibly.
Mass communication educators face difficulties in teaching Generation Z due to their unique learning preferences and constant digital distractions. Short attention spans, a preference for visual learning and reliance on instant information from tools like Google and AI hinder deep, critical learning. To engage this generation, educators must adopt to more interactive and multimedia-based teaching methods while addressing challenges such as declining interest in traditional journalism and the dominance of clickbait culture.
Role-playing in education allows students to engage with real-world scenarios, enhancing learning through practical experiences. In mass communication, students can step into the roles of journalists, PR professionals, and media policymakers, gaining hands-on skills in simulated environments. Role-playing exercises such as simulated press conferences, newsroom simulations, and crisis communication drills allow students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills in dynamic settings, preparing them for future careers in the media industry.
The writer is working as an assistant professor at the Department of Mass Communication, Lahore Garrison University. He is a PhD in Communication Studies from the University of the Punjab. He can be contacted at: mudassar.hussain@lgu.edu.pk.
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