Wired excerpt says Gen Z judges truth through social media and AI

In short: A Wired excerpt argues that Gen Z often decides what is true through social media feeds, emotions, and friends, and AI is making that harder.

What's going on

Steven Rosenbaum, writing in a book excerpt published by Wired, describes a gap between traditional sources of facts, like scientific reports, and the emotional stories that spread on TikTok and similar apps. He opens with a viral video of a polar bear swimming between shrinking ice floes, which triggers strong feelings in viewers. He contrasts that with the careful, measured language of the IPCC climate report.

The excerpt points to research showing a rise in teen anxiety, depression, and loneliness starting in the early 2010s. It says the timing lines up with smartphones, front-facing cameras, and social media feeds becoming central to teen life. It also cites findings that face-to-face time went down while time spent online went up.

Rosenbaum argues this shift is not only about mental health. He says social platforms are built to reward posts that grab attention, so people are pushed toward content that sparks strong reactions. A 2023 Google research study is mentioned, describing Gen Z as often seeing information passively in feeds and then sorting it out socially, by talking with peers, rather than using older habits like checking sources first.

The excerpt warns that AI can now produce fake realities at scale, including deepfakes (videos made to look real) and cloned voices. It also claims AI-generated influencer accounts can be hard to tell apart from real people.

What to watch

Expect more focus on tools and rules that label or limit AI-made fakes, and on media education that reflects how young people actually share and check information, in groups, not alone.

Source: Wired