Commenter: Social media and comparison pressure are affecting young people’s mental health

During a meeting discussion, a resident asked whether younger generations are “suffering way more” than previous ones, and whether millennials and Gen Z are struggling more or simply more aware of their feelings. Resident (public commenter) asked, “Are young people suffering way more than maybe we did? Not you, because you're young... So are you seeing that the young people of today, the millennials or the gen z, that they're kind of struggling a little bit more, or maybe it's they're more aware of their feelings maybe that we probably weren't?”

Commenter (meeting participant) responded that younger people and older generations “struggle differently” and linked increased connectedness on social media to heightened comparison and emotional strain. “We're more connected now with social media, but with that, we also compare ourselves to other people alike,” the commenter said. “We see good things on social media, and our lives don't always look like love, and that can make us feel depressed, make us feel anxious, worry about the future. What if I'm not that successful? So I think a lot of that is playing into what was in it today, in my opinion.”

The exchange was framed as a discussion among meeting participants; no formal action, policy proposal, or motion was introduced during the recorded segment. The remarks raised concerns about anxiety, depression and future-earning worries tied to social-media comparison and generational differences in awareness of mental health.

Because the speakers are not identified by name in the transcript, their comments are reported as spoken by Resident (public commenter) and Commenter (meeting participant). No statutes, ordinances or other legal authorities were cited in the discussion, and no votes or directives were recorded in the provided transcript segment.