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A new study has found that 62% of Gen Zers wish they could “reset” their social media feeds and start over, while three in four Gen Zers blame social media for having a negative impact on their mental health. The study, conducted by Tocker Research and commissioned by LG Electronics, revealed that those who experience negative emotions reported it only takes 38 minutes on social media to make them feel bad.
2,000 Generation Z Americans who use social media were surveyed online by Talker Research between June 20 and June 24, 2024 and found that Instagram (20%), TikTok (20%) and Facebook (13%) all had a negative impact on their health. More than half, 53%, felt frustrated that the content on their social media feeds doesn’t match what they see, while 54% believe they have either “some”, “a little” or “no control at all” over what they see on their social media feeds.
The research showed that only 16% of people believe they have full control over what they see, so social media scrolling causes almost half of Generation Z (49%) to feel some kind of negative emotion, such as stress and anxiety (30%). In addition, content that displays physical violence (50%), politics (40%) and sexually explicit content (32%) lead to negative emotions.
What is the reason that Generation Z people use social media every day?
According to the study, they keep coming on social media again and again and are unable to leave it despite the damage it does to their mental health –
- Boredom – 66%
- I want to laugh/smile – 59%
- Need for distraction/break – 55%
- I want to see what’s happening in the world – 49%
- I like to see what my friends are doing – 44%
- I want to connect with others – 42%
- I want a break/I need a break – 33%
- Looking for specific information – 32%
Louis Giagrande, Head of US Marketing at LG Electronics, said, “We spend a significant portion of our lives online and often these experiences leave us exhausted and mentally unstimulated. We encourage everyone to be more mindful of social media content to bring more balance, inspiration and happiness to their lives. If we focus on optimism, we will be better prepared to tackle life’s challenges and create a happier life.”
“Algorithms play a huge role in the content we see on social media, but there are some simple steps people can take to ‘reset’ their feeds so they can enjoy more of the positive content they crave. When you find content that makes you smile, pay more attention to it. ‘Like’ it and comment. Giving that post some engagement will lead to more positive posts like it appearing on your feed,” she said.
On the positive side, 38% of Gen Z believe social media platforms can improve their impact on mental health in the next five years and the study highlights that 80% claimed they associate social media with a positive impact on their mood, with comedy (65%), animals (48%), beauty (40%) and prank videos (34%) evoking positive emotions. While two-thirds i.e. 65% have turned a bad day into a good day because of what they saw on social media, 70% are more likely to use social media when in a good mood than a bad mood and 44% believe social media has a positive impact on their outlook on life.
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