Why 3 in 4 Gen Zers Blame Social Media for Their Declining Mental Health

According to a new study, three out of four Gen Zers blame social media for a negative impact on their mental health.

The survey of 2,000 Gen Z Americans who use social media found that Instagram (20%), TikTok (20%) and Facebook (13%) have all had a negative impact on their well-being.

Many said the reasons they use social media are because they are bored (66%), want to laugh (59%), want to see what’s going on in the world (49%) and see what their friends are doing ( 44 %).

However, this social media movement leaves nearly half of Gen Zers (49%) feeling some type of negative emotion such as stress and anxiety (30%).

Commissioned by LG Electronics and conducted by Talker Research, the study found that those who experience negative emotions report that it only takes them 38 minutes on social media before they start to feel bad.

Respondents attributed these feelings to consuming disturbing content (51%), feeling unproductive with how they spent their time (49%), and/or experiencing FOMO (36%).

The average person spends five and a half hours on social media apps a day, and 45% believe they spend more time on social media than their friends.

“We spend a significant portion of our lives online, and often these experiences can leave us feeling drained rather than mentally stimulated,” said Louis Giagrande, head of US marketing at LG Electronics. “We encourage everyone to be more aware of the social media content they choose to engage with, bringing stronger balance, inspiration and happiness into their lives. If we focus on optimism, we will be better equipped to face life’s challenges and build a happier life.”

The results also found, not surprisingly, 62% of Gen Zers wish they could “reset” their social media feeds and start over.

Over half (53%) report feeling frustrated that the content in their feed doesn’t match what they want to see.

Just as many (54%) believe they have either “some”, “little” or “no control” over what they see on their social media feeds. In fact, only 16% believe they have complete control over what they see.

While many said they associate the platforms with negative emotions, the study also found that 80% claimed they also associate social media with a positive impact on their mood.

Content reported to evoke positive emotions are comedies (65%), animals (48%), cuteness (40%) and funny videos (34%). Meanwhile, content featuring physical violence (50%), politics (40%) and sexually explicit content (32%) tend to lead to negative emotions.

Two-thirds (65%) have turned a bad day into a good one because of what they saw on social media. Adding to this, respondents were 70% more likely to use social media when in a good mood compared to a bad one, and 44% believe that social media has a positive impact on their outlook on life.

Over the next five years, 38% believe social media platforms can improve their impact on mental health.

“Algorithms play an important role in the content we see on social media, but there are simple actions people can take to ‘reset’ their feeds so they can enjoy more of the positive content they want,” Giagrande continued. “When you come across content that makes you smile, pay extra attention. ‘Like’ and leave a comment. Giving this after an engagement can help inspire more positive posts like that to appear in your feed.”

WHAT CAUSES GEN Z TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA DAILY?

Boredom – 66%

I want to laugh/smile – 59%

You need a distraction / break – 55%

I want to see what is happening in the world – 49%

I want to see what my friends are doing – 44%

I want to connect with others – 42%

I want to disconnect / need a break – 33%

Looking for specific information – 32%

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Gen Z Americans who use social media; the survey was commissioned by LG Electronics and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between June 20 and June 24, 2024.

We source from a non-probability framework and the two main sources we use are:

• Traditional online access panels – where respondents choose to participate in online market research for an incentive
• Programmatic – where respondents are online and given the opportunity to take a survey to receive a virtual incentive that is typically related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were dropped from the survey. While the survey is in the field, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve specified quotas as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small monetary value equivalent to money.

Cells are reported for analysis only if they have at least 80 respondents and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. The data are not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are set to achieve the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they fail quality control measures. This includes:

• Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is faster than one-third of the average interview duration are disqualified as speeders
• Open-Ended: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions and others, please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
• Bots: Captcha is enabled in surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
• Duplication: The survey software has deduping based on digital fingerprints, which ensures that no one is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.