Beyond the Scroll: A Qualitative Exploration of Generation Z's Experiences of Digital Connection, Relationships, And Well-Being

Social media has become deeply embedded in the everyday social lives of Generation Z, functioning not only as a source of entertainment and information but also as an environment for friendship maintenance, identity expression, community participation, social support, learning, creativity, and professional opportunity. Although research has increasingly recognised the heterogeneous nature of young people's digital experiences, discussions of social media frequently remain dominated by problematic use, social comparison, loneliness, and other adverse outcomes. Such a deficit-orientated approach may obscure the meaningful forms of connection and opportunity that digital environments can provide while also underestimating the tensions that may coexist with these benefits. The present qualitative study explored how Generation Z experiences and interprets digital connectedness, with particular attention to friendship, belonging, social support, identity expression, online validation, and personal, academic, and professional opportunities, alongside experiences of comparison, fatigue, superficiality, and disconnection. An interpretivist-constructivist orientation and qualitative exploratory design were adopted. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews with 18 Generation Z participants aged 18–25 years and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Self-determination theory and Baumeister and Leary's need-to-belong framework provided complementary sensitising perspectives. Six interconnected themes were developed: (a) digital connection as continuity across distance, (b) meaningful connection requires relational depth, (c) social media as a gateway to communities, learning, and opportunity, (d) being seen: validation, visibility, and identity, (e) the cost of constant connection: fatigue, comparison, and superficiality, and (f) negotiating connection through agency and boundaries. Findings indicate that digital connectedness is neither inherently beneficial nor harmful. Rather, its meaning depends on the purpose and quality of engagement, relational context, reciprocity, perceived agency, and the extent to which digital interaction complements meaningful offline relationships. The study contributes a balanced, participant-centred account of Generation Z's digital sociality and suggests that digital well-being should focus not only on the amount of time spent online but also on the quality, purpose, and psychological meaning of digital engagement.