Are you often surrounded by people playing the popular mobile games Brawl Stars, Clash Royale, or Clash of Clans? Do you have Snapchat and enjoy a healthy six-hour-plus screen time? If so, then chances are, you’re part of The Brawl Stars Generation. The Brawl Stars Generation, otherwise known as Gen Z, was born during a major technological shift on Earth. They were the first to be handed an iPad Pro instead of a baby rattle. The first to play Toca Boca at the dinner table while the adults were talking. The first to learn a very simple rule: when you’re bored, you go to the screen.
At first glance, this might seem comparatively harmless. After all, screens are fun! They keep you occupied and entertained with minimal effort. In fact, they’re so fun, they almost completely remove the need to socialize and form meaningful bonds with the people around you. For a time, the primary way to contact people outside of school was to call them, and have a conversation. But now, swathes of teenagers would much rather send pictures of their walls on Snapchat than engage in a conversation that requires effort, even at sleepovers or parties. So…what happened?
The sad truth is that it’s easier and more comfortable to pseudo-socialize through mobile games than it is to make eye contact and have a conversation. Properly socializing is exhausting, especially for people who never learned how. And in a room of people who are already playing Brawl Stars, there’s not much point in trying to talk to anyone. You might as well sit down, get out your phone, and start playing as well. Conformity is comfort.
The more you use your phone, the less you have to socialize. The less you have to socialize, the more you become unable to socialize. A survey by the Swedish software company Mentimeter showed that a whopping 49% of Gen Z identified as being an introvert, compared to a meager 19% for millennials, and 32% for Gen X. Being an introvert isn’t a bad thing—many people are just born with a preference for being around fewer people. But this rapid increase between generations is probably not because we are more socially accepting of introverted behavior—it is a symptom of a growing inability to socialize, due to iPhones, social media, and mobile games like Brawl Stars. Furthermore, according to ABC7, 73% of young adolescents today feel “alone and disconnected.” While video games by themselves can harm sleep, work habits, and stress management, what makes mobile games so damaging is the fact that they can be played anywhere—at a friend’s house, in a restaurant, or in class, completely removing the need to make meaningful interactions.
So, next time you walk into gym class and see everyone grinding for a “mythical” Brawler—try striking up a conversation, and see what happens. Chances are, you’ll be ignored and the cycle will repeat itself—but if that happens, maybe it’s time to rethink who you spend your time with.
