The Impact of Online Socializing on Teenagers Real-Life Social Fear: Evidence from Post-00s Generation

With the popularity of the Internet and smart mobile terminals, online socializing has gradually become an indispensable communication method for the new generation of teenagers. Against the backdrop of rising social anxiety and perceived social support needs, although the popularity of online social networking provides adolescents with new ways to express themselves and seek identity, it also brings problems such as weakening of social abilities and alienation of real relationships. Using the documentary Post-00s Generation as the analytical sample, this study integrates case analysis with a literature review to examine how online social interaction simultaneously impacts adolescents social anxiety in real-life contexts and their perceived social support. The results show that although online platforms provide teenagers with convenient means of communication, which can reduce loneliness and enhance social identity, they may also contribute to the decline of in-person social skills and the intensification of social anxiety. In addressing these challenges, real-world support systems, from families, peers, and schools, are vital to adolescent development.