Prevalent Addictions in Gen Z

Ioan Szasz ()
Additional contact information
Ioan Szasz: Pentecostal Theological Institute in Bucharest, Romania

RAIS Journal for Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 9, issue 1, 159-170

Abstract: This paper offers a comprehensive interdisciplinary analysis of the addiction crisis among Generation Z, the first generation raised in an entirely digital environment. Characterized by unprecedented exposure to smartphones, social media, and online platforms, Gen Z faces heightened vulnerability to both behavioral and chemical addictions. Drawing on psychological, sociological, biological, and theological perspectives, the study explores the multifaceted causes and consequences of addictions, including pornography, social media dependence, gaming, gambling, and substance use. These behaviors are often expressions of deeper crises in identity, emotional regulation, and spiritual orientation, shaped by hyperconnectivity, social fragmentation, and cultural relativism. The research reveals how digital environments restructure reward mechanisms and promote compulsive behaviors, while also contributing to emotional isolation and diminished resilience. Through critical engagement with empirical data and theological reflection, the study argues that addiction in Gen Z must be viewed as a symptom of existential dislocation and the erosion of relational and moral frameworks.

Keywords: Digital Culture; Addiction; Gen Z; Pornography; Social Media; FOMO; Gambling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://journal.rais.education/index.php/raiss/article/view/264/216 (application/pdf)
https://journal.rais.education/index.php/raiss/article/view/264 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:smo:jornl1:v:9:y:2025:i:1:p:159-170

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in RAIS Journal for Social Sciences from Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Eduard David ().