Why Teenagers are Drawn to Social Media: The Identity Development Factor

A clinical psychologist from the University of Indonesia’s Master’s Programme in Clinical Psychology, Teresa Indira, has explained that the attraction of Generation Alpha to social media cannot be separated from their psychological development needs. “They are the first generation to have lived in a digital environment from birth. Smartphones, YouTube, TikTok, and various other platforms have become part of their daily lives,” said Teresa.

According to the psychologist, commonly known as Tesya, Generation Alpha refers to children born around 2010 to 2024 or 2025. In 2026, the earliest cohort of this generation has entered the pre-adolescent to early adolescent phase.

She explained that from the perspective of Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, adolescents are at the stage of “Identity versus Role Confusion.” At this phase, individuals are searching for their identity and attempting to understand their position in their social environment.

“Adolescents are asking themselves: Who am I? Which group do I fit into? How do others perceive me?” she said.

According to Tesya, social media provides a space that is perfectly suited to these needs. Digital platforms allow adolescents to express themselves through photos, videos or opinions, whilst simultaneously receiving immediate responses from their social environment.

“On social media, they can gain recognition through likes, comments, and followers. This provides a sense of being accepted and acknowledged,” she noted.

Beyond psychological factors, there are also biological aspects at play. She explained that notifications and interactions on social media trigger dopamine release in the brain, creating a sense of pleasure and encouraging the desire to repeat the behaviour.

The combination of identity needs, social connection, and biological responses makes social media feel relevant to adolescents. “So the attraction to social media is not merely about technology. These platforms align with adolescents’ developmental need to explore their identity and build social connections,” said Tesya.

She believes that understanding these developmental aspects is important so that parents can view social media use more proportionally, and are able to support their children through the process of identity formation in the digital age.