Jenna Ortega Addresses Social Media's Effect on Youth Identity and Privacy Concerns

Actress Jenna Ortega raises concerns about the detrimental effects of social media on young people's sense of identity. In a recent interview with the BBC, the 22-year-old star of Netflix's Wednesday reflected on how modern digital life contrasts with the close-knit communities of previous generations. "I wasn't alive in the 70s, but I've heard stories of neighbors knocking on each other's doors, kids riding bikes around the city, and people meeting up at specific times and places," Ortega shared. She noted that today's youth often find their communities online rather than face-to-face, which can ironically increase feelings of loneliness. "The overwhelming amount of voices and opinions online creates a digital noise that exceeds what humans are naturally exposed to," she explained. This constant exposure, she believes, hampers young people's ability to develop a stable sense of self. "They're struggling to identify what makes their voice unique or what gives their life purpose, control, or authority in today's society." Ortega has been open about her own experiences with social media challenges. Last year, on The New York Times' The Interview podcast, she described a distressin...