Scroll through any social media feed and the contradictions appear instantly: starving children in Gaza, bombed streets, grieving families, followed seconds later by brunch clips, trending dances, or skincare routines. Unlike previous generations who read about tragedy in print, young people today experience it in real-time: livestreamed, replayed, and wedged between ads. There is no buffer, only the scroll. “Sometimes I’m laughing at a meme, and then suddenly I see footage from Gaza or bombs flying over Lebanon, and I feel guilty for smiling,” says Marwan Ahmed, 18, an engineering student. This endless stream is not merely background noise. For many young Egyptians, it is the environment in which they are growing up, one shaped by constant exposure to conflict, crisis, and instability, both online and offline. In uncertain times, when futures feel unstable and structural support is limited, this transition becomes even more fragile. According to a 2017 study published in Demographic Research, found that when there is a disconnect between a young person’s aspirations and what is actually achievable, due to economic hardship, job scarcity, or social constraints, mental health outcomes tend to worsen. A Generation Defined by…
No Buffer, Only Scroll: What It Means to Stay Digitally Connected in Egypt Today
July 22, 2025
