For an average young person of today, the Internet and everything it brings is everything. New generations are born into the world vastly different from the one their parents knew while young. Thanks to the immense advancements in technology, millennials greatly depend on everything the online world brings, from learning to having fun. Most of them have usernames on all the popular messaging apps, predominantly Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.
However, older generations who knew the world without the Internet often say how their children and grandchildren are too dependent and even addicted to social media messaging apps. As they watch teenagers and adolescents constantly check their phones and computers, they cannot help but wonder why they are so drawn to the virtual world when they have a beautiful, real one all around them.
The truth is, as we all know, that there are virtually no limitations to what you can, see, or learn online, while the countless messaging apps help us stay in touch no matter the geographical distance. It is in human nature to interact with others, and messaging apps and services like Chattoday.com allow us to stay connected to the most important people in our lives. Downloading such apps and making usernames is all it takes, so why not use it? Following are the eight biggest reasons why millennials are seemingly addicted to messaging apps.
1. Sharing, inspiring, and entertaining
There is something very pleasurable in sharing parts of your life online, with the people who are not there with you to experience it themselves. By doing so, many Internet users have large followings who are inspired by the things they see. By posting interesting details form their lives in the form of photos, videos, and stories, millennials entertain and inspire each other to the things they never have. It is impossible to see and do everything however hard you try, so seeing others do it is the next best thing. You get to filter out what you enjoyed and maybe try doing it yourself someday. Sharing is important in the modern world, and that is okay.
2. Expressing their personalities
Through all the things people post and share, they actually express exactly who they are, what they like or hate, and what makes them feel happy. All the music, photos, stories, and videos a user likes, shares or retweets paint a clear picture of their personality, and it does not take long to see what somebody is like by a simple scroll through their social media app feed. Most messaging apps have various features for expressing creativity, and popular ones allow sharing things from different platforms, making all of these practices easier and more pleasurable.
3. Showing off things they enjoy
For whatever reason, tons of young people feel the need to prove themselves by showing off, so they take it to messaging apps and social media to show what they have. When they feel special, they try to share the feeling with others on these apps. Some mistake this for snobbism and showboating, and they may be right but only to an extent. There are indeed those who simply wish to show everyone what they managed to achieve or afford without rubbing it in their faces. Photos of special things like new clothes, shoes, cars, or even delicious food make people happy, so it is a win-win situation for the creator and the follower.
4. Need for acceptance, recognition and love from others
The online world has that side many users either love or hate, which is the worth system and the accompanying comment sections. This does not only apply to millennials but everyone who uses the Internet. Once a post goes up, people can like it, share it, and comment on it, all of which makes the person who uploaded the content feel special and happy. Complementing is always welcome and it is okay to feel good about yourself when someone recognizes your work and tells you what a good job you did. This is easy on the web. After creating a username and opening a page, practically anyone can come and check out what you do, either giving you likes and comments or not. Depending on this recognition and acceptance on messaging apps is very unhealthy though, and you should never worry and lose sleep over low like and comment count on your posts.
5. Connecting with people and building relationships
As mentioned in the opening section, it has never been easier to meet new people and build relationships than today. Thanks to all the social apps and messaging services, people from far corners of the world can connect and exchange messages instantly. By reacting to somebody’s posts, we let them know how we feel about it, which is a form of feedback. On the other hand, getting attention from others makes us feel special, needed, and loved, especially if it is from our friends and family. Millions have started lasting friendships, business, and private relationships, and connected with those they thought they would never see again, all thanks to the web. Millennials have it the best since the only world they know is the one with accessible relationships and contacts.
6. Being afraid of missing out on valuable information
Staying in touch with news and everything that is going on in the world is as easy as clicking on the touchscreen of your device. By following the sources and pages they are interested in the most, millennials learn about the ongoing events instantly. This allows them to never miss out on new information and makes them knowledgeable on various topics. Therefore, naturally, if they lack this constant source of new info and knowledge, they feel uneasy and perhaps even lost. One of the most common reasons why people check their messaging apps and social media dozens of times per day is to check if something new happened, no matter if it is the current breaking news or just something their loved ones are doing. News is news, and we do live in the age of information after all.
Conclusion
It is impossible to imagine a world without the Internet now, despite it being mainstream for only the last two decades. Messaging apps and the general ease of access have given people so many benefits that they do not want to go back to the “dark ages” ever again. When it comes to millennials and their apparent addiction, it is not at all what it seems. Remember, they are much more connected and familiar with the world that their parents and grandparents were at their age, which can only be a positive thing going forward.
