In the closing round of the Gen‑Z Short Bites podcast, host Virginie Glaenzer asks each participant to share a key takeaway from the conversation about their relationship with social media. Virginie reflects on two main insights: the desire to build smaller, like‑minded online communities that protect against exposure and threats, and the tension between the openness required for entrepreneurship and the need for privacy. The panelists expand on these themes. Dominique stresses the emotional impact of posts and the need for caution and empathy online. Alex describes how social media can erode interpersonal nuance, prompting a personal plan to limit Instagram use and make it more personal for a close‑knit community. Alicia notes that her own experience with social media is not universal, highlighting the diversity of user experiences. Roxanne emphasizes building resilience to trolls as a life skill that benefits both individuals and the broader community. Across the discussion, participants acknowledge both the positive potential of social media for connection and the emotional challenges it can create, and they each express an intention to adjust their own usage or mindset moving forward. The episode ends with a call to viewers to share their own good, bad, and ugly experiences with social media.
Chapters
I want to thank everyone for this insightful conversation. And as we come to the end of the hour, I'd like to end this discussion the way it began, with a tour de table. So one of the promises of this podcast is that there's too much talking and not enough doing. So let's pass the mic and tell us what you heard today that will inspire you to start doing something differently than the way you did it prior to this conversation. Or you can share anything that you want to leave others with. So anything you'd like to share. And I'm going to start by sharing my own takeaways to give you a moment to collect your thoughts. So this conversation was really interesting. And what I'm hearing and— recognizing is that this personal desire of mine to use social media to create smaller communities of like-minded people so I don't create this risk of exposing myself and being threatened, it also, it seems to be that it's also something that your generation seems to want, creating a smaller group of individuals, whether it's people who are physically far away that I know, my family, or just people who are like-minded. So that's one thing that I'm hearing. The second thing that I'm hearing is that the future of work is evolving. And as you said, Dominique, a lot of people going into entrepreneurship and launching their own business, in which case you do need to have this openness to the world to tell the world what you're doing and hoping to make a sustainable business, and that might be a conflict. So unless we resolve that conflict, perhaps by thinking that the business doesn't have to be worldwide, but it could serve a smaller community, in which case what you would do is also create a small community for your prospect and customers. So that might be one way to figure things out. But there are a lot of questions that still remain open. So that would be my takeaway. So why don't we begin, and Roxane, you'll be the last one to end. And I can't read what you were saying because this is— I have notes. Yes, I saw that. So why don't we begin with Dominique? Why don't we, you know, share your last thoughts?
My takeaway from the podcast would be that I learned that people are very, very crucial on social media.
People usually—
people don't care, you know, what they post. I guess everybody just want to get their opinions out. So I feel like we need to be, you know, more crucial. We should be more cautious and understand that, you know, everybody has feelings, everybody feels a type of way what you post and what type of content you post. So I feel like we should, you know, be aware of the things that are being posted on social media, the comments that are written on social media, and of course everybody feels a type of way about, you know, their likes. So I definitely feel like that should be taken into content.
Got it. Thank you very much. Alicia?
My major takeaway is definitely that just because I have a past experience with social media, that doesn't mean it's—
Hold on, Alyssa. Hold on, hold on. I think you're breaking up. Let's start again.
Oh no.
Yeah, I don't know. Today, this morning, it's like all over the place. What's happening? Why don't we come back to you and go Hold on, why don't we come back to you after, and Alex, if you want to share your last few words. Okay.
So I think this has been a really interesting conversation, besides me a little bit tearing up in the beginning. But I think that that clearly shows that it really affects people, social media, in ways that not a lot of people see, because social media takes away the interpersonalness that people get when they meet face to face. It takes away a lot of emotions that you would consider when you look at someone and their Instagram account. So I think that after this conversation, um, I think that I will probably not be using Instagram as much just like before, but I think that I will slowly start to get back into it and make my Instagram more personal to me and my close-knit community, just because I wouldn't want to cut myself off from my community just because I had bad experiences in the past with people I barely knew. So I think that it's something I still want to give a chance because I know social media can be for good, and I know that it can bring people closer together. It's just kind of a rock I have to overcome before I really take that step in try it again, I guess.
Wonderful, thank you very much, Alex, for sharing these deep thoughts. Roxanne, and because I still see Alicia's video not that clear, so until her— the internet gets more stable, Roxanne, do you want to share a little bit your thoughts on this conversation?
I'm very inspired by everyone because the thread I see is how each of you are building resiliency. And I think that is a life skill that will benefit not only the person building it, but it builds our community. When our individuals are more aware, more resilient, not so vulnerable to the trolls, it makes the situation better for all of us. So I thank you.
Wonderful. Thank you. That was a real— resilience, I think, is an amazing skill.
I think it grows a thicker coat of skin, you know? It teaches you how to really take some things and know it's not personal, know it's not about you. It's just something that someone wants to say and get attention for, and it's something that you have to yourself overcome, and people become stronger because of it. So I think that that's completely true.
I totally agree.
That is. I agree. Can you guys hear me? You can hear me better? Okay. So my major takeaway from today is that my experience personally with social media is vastly different than other people's. Other people have not had positive experiences with social media, and other people have probably had even better. So it's just my perspective isn't necessarily the right one, and just because I use social media a certain way, other people use it differently. So maybe I'm just more aware now after having this discussion, and I think it was pretty eye-opening.
Very nice. Well, thank you again, everyone. I'd like to end by asking viewers and listeners to like the video and to subscribe to our podcast and tell, you know, and tell us what do you think as a Generation Z individual, what are your good, bad, and ugly experiences with social media? Leave your answers in the comments, and again, thank you so much everyone.
