Commitments as a limitation

We see this in the attitude towards commitments. Marriage is perceived as a restriction, parenthood as a loss of personal fulfillment, stable employment as a trap.

Freedom is understood as permanent openness to possibilities, not as fidelity to a decision. But life without commitment is like a ship without an anchor. It may seem dynamic, but in reality it is carried away by every wind.

The warning of neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath also fits into this discussion. According to his analysis, this is the first generation in modern history to perform worse on standardized tests than the generation before it.

What is even more disturbing is that many young people believe they are more intelligent than they actually are. Excessive self-confidence without a realistic basis is a dangerous combination. It creates an illusion of competence without real effort.

From freedom to anarchy

Horvath points out one key factor: teenagers spend more than half of their waking hours in front of a screen. At school, they use digital technologies, and at home, they use their phones, tablets, or laptops. However, the human brain is biologically wired for deep learning, concentration, and personal interaction. Instead, young people are learning to scan, skip, and receive information in short bursts.

This has consequences not only for education but also for character. Deep thinking shapes patience. Long-term effort builds perseverance. Reading challenging texts develops the ability to discern. If this is lost, the ability to make mature decisions is also weakened. Freedom without the ability to distinguish between good and evil turns into anarchy.

This is not an attack on young people. Every generation has its challenges. But this is the first to grow up in an environment where distraction is the norm and instant gratification is the standard.

The culture of "maximum freedom" encourages them to choose their identity, reject traditions, and cross boundaries. Boundaries are said to be the enemy of authenticity. But it is precisely boundaries that give freedom its shape. A river without banks turns into a swamp.

Freedom is a means, not an end

Freedom is not an end in itself. It is a means to the good. Freedom without truth leads to confusion. Freedom without responsibility leads to chaos. Freedom without love leads to selfishness.

Today's digital culture also weakens the relationship with authority. Parents, teachers, priests, and the state are automatically underestimated or ignored. Authority must constantly defend itself, while influencers with millions of followers gain trust effortlessly.

This shift is changing value orientations. Young people are learning to respond to popularity, not wisdom. And this is also reflected in their mental stability.

Statistics show an increase in anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness. Paradoxically, this is in the generation that is most "connected." However, virtual connection does not replace real relationships. A screen cannot replace eye contact. If freedom is understood as independence from others, the result is isolation.

More technology and lower performance

At the same time, education is becoming increasingly digitized. Horvath points out that in countries where technology has been massively introduced into schools, student performance has declined. Technology itself is not bad. The problem arises when it replaces challenge. When the emphasis shifts from depth to speed, from content to form, from discipline to comfort. Without "heavy lifting," even a sharp mind can become dull.

The line between self-realization and anarchy does not lie in whether a young person chooses their own path. It lies in whether they are willing to bear the consequences of their decisions.

Self-realization without a moral framework turns into self-centeredness. Authenticity without truth turns into identity chaos. And freedom without responsibility turns into illusion.

Some principles are timeless. Discipline, respect for authority, fidelity to commitments, the pursuit of truth—these are not relics of the past. They are the pillars of civilization. If we weaken them, society will begin to crumble.

For many years, the public was told that the link between social media and poor mental health was negligible. However, recent research tells a different story. Most long-term studies confirm that increased use of social media precedes an increase in depressive symptoms, and experiments show that limiting its use brings noticeable improvement. The effect is significantly stronger in girls than in boys.

This is not a case of "moral panic," but an increasingly clear picture: the digital environment has real psychological consequences.

Freedom must have direction

Generation Z does not need less freedom. It needs a true understanding of freedom. It needs to know that boundaries are not a prison, but protection. That commitment is not a loss, but an investment. That authority does not have to be an enemy, but a guide. True intelligence does not grow from quick clips, but from silence, concentration, and effort.

Generation Z is the first generation whose adolescence has been shaped by smartphones from an early age. Social life has moved to a space where a person's value is determined by the audience's reactions, identity is built through image, and comparison is constant. What was supposed to be a communication tool has become an environment that reshapes self-perception. However, humans are not designed for permanent evaluation by algorithms.

If we flatter young people today and tell them that every boundary is oppression, we will rob them of their ability to cope with reality. The world has boundaries. Moral, biological, social. Ignoring them does not mean abolishing their existence, but encountering them unprepared.

The future of society will not be determined by how much technology we have, but by how we understand freedom. If we reduce it to the right to do anything, we will end up in chaos. If we understand it as a responsible path to goodness, it can be a source of renewal.

The challenge for Generation Z, and for all of us, is clear: let's rediscover freedom that has direction.