Jenna Ortega Discusses the Challenges of Social Media for the Younger Generation

Jenna Ortega believes that social media is making it “harder to find a sense of self” for young people today. The 22-year-old actress, who stars as Wednesday Addams on the hit Netflix series Wednesday, recently shared her thoughts on the show’s success and how online platforms are impacting the younger generation.

In an interview with the BBC, Ortega stated that she thinks Wednesday resonated with audiences because it explores themes of “where we find our sense of community now.” She compared today’s world to the past, noting that people used to interact in person and would expect to meet up at a certain time and place.

Now, she believes people are “interacting and finding their community online,” which she feels “can be very isolating.”

The actress, who also stars in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, said that social media exposes people to “so many voices and so many opinions,” which is “much more than humans are kind of meant to be exposed to.” This overexposure, she argues, makes it difficult for young people to establish their identity. She added, “Young people are struggling to find, ‘What makes my voice stand out?'” She believes they are searching for a “sense of purpose or control or authority” in a world where it feels increasingly hard to find.

This isn’t the first time Ortega has spoken out about the negative effects of social media. During an appearance on The Interview podcast last August, she expressed her strong dislike for AI and the internet, particularly reflecting on her negative experiences as a child. She shared that she hated “being 14 [years old] and making a Twitter account… and seeing dirty edited content of me as a child.” She called the experience “terrifying,” “corrupt,” and “disgusting,” but acknowledged that “We’ve opened Pandora’s box… We’re gonna have to deal with the consequences.”

Part 1 of Wednesday Season 2 is set to debut on Netflix on Wednesday, August 6, with Part 2 following on Wednesday, September 3. You can currently stream the first season in full on the platform.