By /

Tia Ng

Does Social Media Make You Social?

Biography

Hey, I’m Tia. I’ve always been curious about how people connect — especially in that space between real life and the internet. I’m an extrovert who loves honest conversations and figuring out what makes people tick. Over time, I’ve explored those questions through electives in philosophy, psychology, and econ, which gave me different ways of thinking about communication, identity, and the digital world. When I’m not working on something, I’m probably on a patio with friends or deep in a TikTok scroll that somehow ends up in my notes app.

Details of Project

Does social media make you social? That question has been at the center of my research — and it started from lived experience. I spent my first year of university entirely online, constantly connected but rarely feeling genuinely present. That disconnect pushed me to explore how social media impacts communication and connection, especially within Gen Z culture.

My research argues that social media doesn’t necessarily make us more social — it just makes us feel like we are. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are designed to keep us engaged, but often at the cost of real connection. I examine how this affects our mental health, dating culture, friendships, and how we present ourselves online. I also reflect on how digital culture is reshaping how we socialize offline — from group chats replacing real hangouts to club culture feeling more about content than connection. This project is about more than what’s happening right now — it’s about asking what the future of being “social” might actually look like.

Lightning talk

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