Gen Z Beyond the Screen

  • Spring 2025

Students from five schools across Utah came together to create journalism exploring Gen Z's relationship with mental health and technology. In its second year, this historical cross-campus initiative brings together emerging journalists to produce multimedia content examining both broad trends and in-depth stories about how technology impacts the mental well-being of their generation.

The College Media Collaborative is an Amplify Utah project with support from PBS Utah and POV.

THE TEAM

(Image created by Amie Schaeffer)

What College Students Think About Beauty Filters and Their Impact on Mental Health

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  • By Addy Christensen and Eliza Delgado
  • University of Utah
Amy (left), Melissa (middle), and Mike (right) working together to resolve a shipping issue (Photo: CheyAnn Lee)

‘No cap’: How Gen Z slang is shaking up office talk

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  • By Shyanne Beecher
  • Salt Lake Community College
Fernanda Pinaffi working behind the scenes. (Photo: Fernanda Pinaffi)

‘Ignore it’: Despite industry growth, some women in gaming say skepticism and online aggression persists

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  • By Jonnathan Yi
  • University of Utah
Lorcana enthusiasts engage in a heated game during a community league night at Hill Top TCG in Riverdale, Utah. (Sky Mundell)

Gaming: Rewiring Social Connections

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  • By Sky Mundell
  • Weber State University
Tito, an SLCC student and esports competitor, plays Valorant, demonstrating the trajectory of modern competitive gaming. (Gerardo Galvez-Zamora, The Globe )

From nostalgia to brain rot: The shifting landscape of video games

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  • By Gerardo Galvez-Zamora
  • Salt Lake Community College
Social media may provide quick entertainment, but for some members of Generation Z, online humor has turned into a superficial distraction, offering little in terms of long-lasting emotional support or effective coping strategies. Cora Mark | Sun News Daily

OPINION | Gen Z's dark humor masks deeper mental health struggles

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  • By Lexy Borgogno
  • Utah Tech University
As social media increasingly influences everyday life, Generation Z’s online humor mirrors their struggles with mental health challenges. Social media has contributed to Gen Z’s desensitization to serious social issues, resulting in harsher interpretations and reactions online. Cora Mark | Sun News Daily

Tragedy, TikToks, taboo jokes: Understanding Gen Z’s humor

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  • By Alyssa Bayles and Ives Hong
  • Utah Tech University
The growing digital age raises discussion on media consumption and the growing form of social media connections. GenZInsights.com listed that 74% of Gen Z spend their free time online. From an IBM Institute for Business Value survey, 73% of Gen Z use their devices to connect with friends and family, 59% use them for entertainment and 58% use them for online video games. (Ashley Orduna, The Globe)

Navigating communication and media consumption in the digital era

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  • By Ashley Orduna
  • Salt Lake Community College
Giselle McIntyre had screen time guidelines when she was in high school that were set by her mother. (Teresa Chaikowsky, The Globe)

SLCC students share what it means to be ‘chronically online’ and offer a glimpse into personal habits

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  • By Teresa Chaikowsky
  • Salt Lake Community College
SUU students Nathaniel Buck, Brynn Smith and Gabriel Small

Digital Detox: Finding Balance in a Connected World [CLT+Z | Ep1]

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  • By Nathaniel Buck, Gabriel Small and Brynn Smith
  • Southern Utah University
SUU student Nathaniel Buck

Connected: Social Media's Hidden Perks [CLT+Z | Ep2]

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  • By Nathaniel Buck
  • Southern Utah University
SUU student Gabriel Small.

Digital Damage: The Dark Side of Screen Time [Ctrl+Z | Ep 3]

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  • By Gabriel Small
  • Southern Utah University
SUU student Brynn Smith.

Unplugged: Reclaiming Life from Social Media [CLT+Z | Ep4]

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  • By Brynn Smith
  • Southern Utah University

Team Takeaways: Digital Life, Unfiltered [CLT+Z | Ep5]

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  • By Nathaniel Buck, Gabriel Small and Brynn Smith
  • Southern Utah University

Thanks to Our Partners

The College Media Collaborative is an Amplify Utah project with support from PBS Utah and POV.

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