In A Post-Pandemic World, Teen Social Spaces Are More Important Than Ever
If we really want to make sure that healthy relationships are being developed, have these social spaces resemble the abandoned early-2000s landscape.
With the development of online shopping, the once-great mall has found itself as a thing of the past; rather than Gen-Z going to the mall to hang out, it’s become nothing more than an errand run. The death of Mallrats, and mall culture, has caused social media to take over how current youths, myself included, interpret the idea of outside. That’s not to say that outside, pre-pandemic wasn’t a thing but hanging out became a lot more about whatever was Snapchat worthy or whatever video game offered co-op play. However, as an early Gen Zer, I was afforded the luxury of being accustomed to outside from a very young age. And, as I look towards my younger cohorts, I notice my little cousin has been glued to his iPad before he started kindergarten. Going outside to him in this pandemic meant visiting my family for the week. Spending that very same week inside, turning on his iPad to attend school, shifting from one house to the next has become the new and improved “get out and play.”
In a generation that has been an integral part of the normalization of virtual interaction, will late Gen Zers reject the internet the same way their older cohorts began to abandon the outside society was once accustomed to? And, if digital fatigue, and any proceeding mental health issues, start to weigh in over the developing generation, will the idea of mall culture see a resurgence? Now might be the time for investments to be made into teen social spaces because they’re going to need it.
With 25% of malls across America to be closed by 2022, the pandemic has expedited a process that has been in the works for the past few years. The ecstasy that comes from ordering something from the comfort of your own home has been heightened in the last year. E-commerce had a $138 billion increase from March 2020 to February 2021. If children are accustomed to going to school, playing, and now buying things from the comfort of their own homes, that doesn’t bode well for the interactions in the future.
A JAMA Network Open study had caregivers of children report a shift in characteristics when schools shut down before and after in 2020. 28.3% increase in loneliness, 10.7% increase in anxiety, 10.6% increase in depression, -13.6% downfall in positive familial interaction, and a 30.9% decrease in positive social and peer relationships. An increase in anxiety and depression, along with a decrease in positive human interaction, will shift how these kids will function. So to prevent a significant gap in human interaction, we need to force it. So let’s bring back the idea of teenage social spaces; once this pandemic is over, kids will need somewhere to unwind and get to know people. Let’s make the necessary arrangements now before it’s too late.
So how do we force kids outside that are content with being glued to their devices? We bring the digital realm to the outside. Think of games such as Roblox, a community-based gaming site that offers interaction and variety of user-made games. Why not set it up so kids will play Roblox, and other online games such as Fortnite, outside the house. This may seem to be feeding into the very problem we’re trying to prevent, but you throw kids into scenarios where they play games other kids also play and see how they get along. If in-game chat rooms and “micing up” with strangers is the norm, allow kids to meet someone in person, and cultivate a relationship through common interest, those interactions will soon develop into more.
If we really want to make sure that healthy relationships are being developed, have these social spaces resemble the abandoned early-2000s landscape. It would fit considering the recent “Y2K” trends, which call back to early 2000s fashions and brands. If homage can be done through our fashions, it can be done through our lifestyles as well.
Think about virtual concerts that became a significant thing last year, such as Lil Nas X on Roblox or Dua Lipa’s Studio 2054. When the outside opens up, let’s bring back the element of the after-school hangout. Concerts, creative spaces, pop-up shops, job opportunities, open and inviting areas that encourage social interaction are all possibilities of what these social spaces could entail while still keeping the culture that the digital world has cultivated. Although it will take more than just fancy social events to get these soon-to-be teenagers excited, it’s also accessibility.
Let’s remedy the very suburban practice that was going to the mall, which was utilized on shows and movies like 6teen and Clueless. Making sure these social spaces can be used in urban areas allows us to make sure that our homages don’t portray our past mistakes. What could be offered in a way to reshape social interactions into something reminiscent of our past, but maintaining the digital element through things such as reinvented arcades, which could encompass significant video games such as Fortnite and Roblox. This way, we still allow the monetization of digital industries while making way for physical ones to return. If everything boils down to dollars, why not put that towards the development of our youth?
The “Death of Retail” and mall culture has only suffered at the hands of the pandemic, along with various other things. Yet, one of the people who will suffer the longest is the youth that has already spent a little too much time inside. Although those accustomed to outside rejected it in favor of online practices, I believe upcoming teenagers can reverse that. To do so, they need to have the means to shift how we interact, not just virtually but in the presence of others. Pushing for teen social spaces is a perfect opportunity to do this; there’s something ripe in the idea of heading to the mall after school. Only those malls no longer exist, so rather than allowing social nourishment to waste, this is the time to tap into a reinvented form of interaction. The internet is used to escape our realities, and it’s about time we allow these well-rounded kids to take their knowledge of other realities and bring them into this one.
Anthony Devone is a student at Morehouse College.
Edited by Harry Todd.