A new survey conducted among Generation Z reveals a disconnect between young people’s social media usage habits and their views on whether it is necessary. Despite heavy usage, they are generally dissatisfied with it.
Generation Z Says, “I Wish TikTok Never Existed!”
The recent survey highlights the perspective of Generation Z (aged 18-27) on social media. About half of the respondents believe that popular platforms like TikTok (47%) and X (50%) would have been better off never existing. Interestingly, these young adults spend an average of four hours per day on social media. In fact, 23% report spending over seven hours daily on these platforms.
These results are from a survey conducted by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt and Harris Poll, involving 1,006 members of Generation Z.
Haidt, known for his book The Anxious Generation, which addresses social media addiction and the problems young people face with technology, advocates four key rules for children regarding social media: no smartphones before high school, no social media before age 16, banning phones in schools, and providing more unsupervised play areas for kids.
Despite spending a significant amount of time on social media, 60% of Generation Z believes it has a negative impact on society, while only 32% think otherwise.
Interestingly, 52% of respondents feel that social media has had a positive effect on their personal lives, while 29% think the opposite. Notably, women are more likely to feel the negative effects on mental health, with 44% acknowledging this impact.
What do you think about these findings? Do you agree that social media’s influence on society is mostly negative? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
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