Are You Chronically Online?

Having to ask yourself if you’re “chronically online” is as Gen Z as it gets. The melting pot of media our generation is forced into makes it easy to lose focus and become wrapped up in all the fuss and feathers of it.

What does it mean?

According to Cnet, “Chronically Online” describes those who “spend so much time online it skews their sense of reality and hinders their ability to effectively communicate about topics like politics and social justice because they lack real world experience.” It can also mean that online trends, phrases and expressions become a person’s entire personality.

Where did it come from?

The term “chronically online” has been used repeatedly on TikTok. The phrase usually appears when someone makes a video addressing a certain opinion or concern that is “out of touch” or unnecessary. This is when the user is deemed to be “chronically online.” Now, this does not apply to serious issues that need to be addressed, but more in the sense of creating problems when there isn’t one. This TikTok explains what the phrase means best.

Why are people “chronically online?”

It’s safe to say the increase in use as well as dependence on social media has grown exponentially. The pandemic is a contributing factor in this. Due to the lack of in-person social interactions during the pandemic, we instead relied on social media to foster that human interaction.

With that being said, TikTok became especially popular around this time. Since then, it has turned into something users scroll on for hours and hours. Thus, plays a role as to why people have become “chronically online” and spend so much time criticizing issues that don’t need to be so blown out of proportion.

Why is this an issue?

One example that encapsulates the whole idea of what it means to be “chronically online” was said perfectly by Vox.com. This pertains to a woman posting a tweet that wrote: “My husband and I wake up every morning and bring our coffee out to our garden and sit and talk for hours, every morning. It never gets old, and we never run out of things to talk to. Love him so much.” The internet did not like this one. Replies like, “Who has time to sit and talk for hours every day? Must be nice,” “I wake up at 6 a.m., shower and go to work for a shift that is a minimum of 10 hours long. This is an unattainable goal for most people” and “You haven’t been married long have you.”

Although many were quick to judge and say senseless things about someone they don’t know, others were able to recognize that the comments were uncalled for. Overall, it all comes down to a lack of perception. When a person spends too much time on an app that has no true value compared to real life experiences it can mess with people’s awareness.

So, are you chronically online? Let us know what you think by tweeting us @VALLEYmag!

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