How did we get to where we are?

Social media—something that consumes the lives of many people in the global community. Studies have shown that over half of American teenagers spend upwards of five hours a day on social media through apps such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Just like anything else that would consume this much time, social media changes how users view and experience the world around them.

 

In a sense, social media is its own community--a digital melting pot--that surpasses geographical bounds—connecting people across the world through a common medium. There are jokes shared by people of different cultures and nationalities, as well as a greater access to knowledge, especially for younger generations.

 

Through social media, bonds are formed and found. For many people in Generation Z, platforms like Youtube, TikTok, or Instagram are how they began to learn how to “adult,” especially in the ways regarding food preparation and cultural cuisine, creating an invented food tradition based from these platforms.

​

The Covid-19 pandemic was the global cultural push that pushed social media to the forefront as a place to join in community; many people—especially in America—began to find unity through food being shared on social media. For the first time, many people began baking—everything from cookies to homemade bread. Because, even though many things were unknown and changing throughout the world, this spark rekindled a flame of cooking in American homes, especially for younger generations
 

The influx of access to knowledge through social media has also allowed many to reconnect with cultural foods or other parts of their heritage that had been lost. Furthermore, many heritage foods were being shared to others—previously outside of the primary culture—who were then adding these food staples to their own homes and familial traditions.