The study showed a paradoxical attitude of young people towards social networks: despite daily many hours of use, a significant portion of zoomers want them to disappear, recognizing the negative impact on society and mental health.
Zoomers against social networks
Unexpected survey results
A recent study conducted by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt in collaboration with the Harris Poll revealed a surprising trend among members of Generation Z. The survey of 1,006 young people aged 18 to 27 showed {|18|}} a surprising wish of a significant part of respondents: almost half of them would like popular social platforms to never be born.
Conflicting attitude towards social networks
Interestingly, the majority of respondents spend a lot of time on social networks. About 60% of zoomers spend almost four hours on them every day, and every fifth even more than seven hours. However, despite active use, 60% of respondents believe that social media has a negative impact on society as a whole.
Impact on different social groups
The study also revealed differences in the perception of social networks by different groups. Among women and members of the LGBTQ community, about 45% reported a negative impact on their mental health. Among men and non-LGBTQ people, the figure was about a third.
Rating of “undesirability” of platforms
Among the social networks that young people would like to “cancel,” TikTok and X lead ( formerly known as Twitter) - about half of those surveyed want them to disappear. They are followed by Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram. It is noteworthy that smartphones and instant messengers themselves cause less negativity: only a fifth of respondents would like them not to have been invented.
View on regulation
Despite the critical attitude, only 36% of respondents support a complete ban on social networks for children under 16 years of age . However, more than two-thirds of respondents approve of the idea of creating safe versions for minors. Jonathan Haidt is calling on lawmakers to take action to protect younger generations by either making these platforms safer or limiting children's access to them.
Glossary
- Zoomers are members of Generation Z, born approximately from 1997 to 2012.
- TikTok is a popular social network for creating and viewing short videos.
- X (Twitter) is a short message publishing platform formerly known as Twitter.
- Jonathan Haidt is an American social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation.
- LGBTQ is an acronym for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.
Links
- The New York Times: Opinion on the dangers of social networks and smartphones
- Fortune: Almost half of zoomers want social networks were never invented
Answers to questions
How does Generation Z feel about social media?
What impact does social media have on the mental health of different groups?
Which social networks cause the most rejection among young people?
How do young people feel about the idea of limiting children's access to social networks?
What measures does Jonathan Haidt propose to protect young people from the negative influence of social networks?
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Discussion of the topic – Digital burnout: why zoomers regret TikTok and other social networks
The study found that half of the younger generation regrets the existence of popular social networks, despite their daily use. The phenomenon of digital fatigue among zoomers is gaining momentum.
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Isabella
Wow! 47% of Zoomers want TikTok not to exist? And they themselves sit there for 4 hours a day 🤔 What a paradox!
Hans
Isabella, I agree! But this shows that young people are aware of the problem. Maybe this is the first step towards change? 🤔 I wonder what the world would look like without social networks now.
Sophie
Guys, I think that the point is not in social networks themselves, but in how we use them. Maybe we should teach children how to use these tools correctly, rather than ban them? 🤷♀️
Giovanni
Sophie, great idea! But how to teach if even adults do not always know how to use social networks wisely? 😅 Maybe we need some digital hygiene courses in schools?
Olga
Huh, digital hygiene courses? Sounds funny, but not a bad idea! 😄 What about the fact that women and LGBTQ people are more likely to suffer from the negative influences of social media? This is a serious problem!
Klaus
All this hype about social media is a waste of time. Previously, we lived without them and nothing, we were happy. And now everyone has their noses buried in their phones and complaining. Want to solve a problem? Just turn off those damn apps!
Isabella
Klaus, I understand your dissatisfaction, but social networks have already become a part of our lives. Maybe we should think about how to make them more useful? 🤔 For example, create truly safe versions for teenagers, as suggested by 69% of respondents.
Pierre
And here’s what I thought: maybe the problem is not social networks, but that real life has become less attractive? 🌍 Maybe we should make offline activities more interesting for young people?