Published24 September 2024, 04:54
Thought experiment: Life without social media: “I would never have met my husband”
A study reveals that almost every second young adult would prefer to live without social media. The 20-Minuten community dares to conduct a thought experiment: What would our everyday life look like without Snapchat, Instagram and the like?
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A new study shows that almost every second Gen Z wishes social media had never been invented.
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In a thought experiment, 20 Minutes readers reflect on what their lives would be like without social media.
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While some friendships and careers have been boosted by social media, other users also see benefits in a life without the platforms.
A new study shows that almost every second Gen Z member wishes that social media platforms had never been invented. But what would life be like for the 20-minute community without Tiktok, Snapchat and the like? They dare to conduct a thought experiment.
Giulia (17) from the canton of Glarus
“I’ve always asked people with similar interests on social media and interacted with them there. Some online interactions have turned into real friendships. But I can also maintain existing relationships with the help of Snapchat videos. So I think that without social media I wouldn’t have some friends. Nevertheless: If I didn’t miss anything, i.e. if no one had access to social media, it wouldn’t be a problem for me to get by without it. I would still have great people around me and would still have chosen to train as a medical assistant, because the impetus for this came from my family.”
Giulia has made several friends on social media.
20min/Carolin Teufelberger
Nicole (45) from the canton of Schwyz
In many ways, Nicole’s life would probably be the same with or without social media. However, as the 45-year-old emphasizes, she would never have met her husband without apps like Tinder. “It’s not easy to meet someone at 40, especially if you don’t like going out like me. Although my husband’s place of work was only ten kilometers from mine, I don’t think we would have met without Tinder. For me that means: without social media, there would be no love of my life. Today we share hobbies and even have a dog. Who knows whether I would have pursued my old hobby, skiing, so intensively without this Tinder love? I’m not sure whether I would have ever learned to ride a motorcycle either.”
Nicole met her husband on Tinder.
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Emmanuel (17) from the canton of Zurich
Until recently, Emmanuel didn’t know what he wanted to do after school. Social media has changed that, says the 17-year-old: “It all started with physics learning videos on YouTube. They sparked my interest. After that, I watched more and more of these clips and deepened my knowledge in this area. That’s how I finally came to the realization that I wanted to study physics. Without social media, I wouldn’t know what I wanted to study.”
Emmanuel discovered his passion for physics through YouTube videos.
20 min/if
Nadine (38) from the canton of Zurich
Nadine grew up without social media: “So I don’t think my life would be completely different today if it weren’t for the apps. I met my boyfriend before there were dating apps, and I also found my job in a very traditional way. Without Instagram, however, I would definitely know less about the lives of my friends and especially old acquaintances. I would also cook very differently. I use the app mainly as a source of inspiration for planning holidays and for recipes. My horizons would be much more limited if I didn’t get all the suggestions in my feed.”
Nadine regularly cooks recipes that she finds on an app.
20min/Carolin Teufelberger
Soroush (25) from the canton of Zurich
“As a child in Iran, I didn’t have social media and I loved it. I spent my time with family and friends and it was just real. Nevertheless, I also see the advantages of the apps. I came to Europe as a refugee about a year ago. I would have made my way here anyway, but without social media I would be much more socially isolated today. I met my best friend in Europe through a language learning app. Without this tool, I could hardly speak German. It would also be much more difficult to maintain contact with my family. I probably wouldn’t have seen the faces of my relatives since the day I left Iran.”
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