A recent study by Talker Research commissioned by LG Electronics has revealed a bleak picture of how social is impacting the mental health of Gen Zers. The study involved 2,000 American Gen Zers who use social media regularly interviewed between June 20 and June 24, 2024. An average user spends about five-and-a-half hours per day on social media apps, with the main reason for seeking out social media being boredom (66 percent), followed by seeking laughter (59 percent), and staying informed (49 percent).

In addition to taking up a significant portion of their day, nearly half of users (49 percent) reported experiencing negative emotions with social media use. Stress and anxiety were the top two negative emotions experienced by users. On average, it takes around only 38 minutes of social media use before a user begins feeling negative reactions. Instagram and TikTok were the biggest platforms resulting in negative emotions, with Facebook following behind. Fifty-three percent of respondents stated they were frustrated with their content feeds, feeling they were not filled with things that interested them. Fifty-six percent stated they felt that had little or no control over what appears on their feeds, while 62 percent expressed a desire to “reset” their social media feeds and start over. Negative emotions weren’t the only emotions to be incited by social media use. Eighty percent associated social media with positive impacts on mood and 44 percent believed it positively impacted their outlook on life.

Louis Giagrande, head of U.S. marketing at LG Electronics, offered advice on how to bring more balance to social media use. “We spend a significant portion of our lives online and often these experiences may leave us feeling drained and not mentally stimulated. We encourage everyone to be more conscious about the social media content they choose to engage with, bringing stronger balance, inspiration, and happiness to their lives,” he said. “If we focus on optimism, we will be better equipped to deal with life’s challenges and build a happier life.” One way to do that is for users to engage more with content that they like. “Algorithms play a significant 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’re craving. When you come across content that makes you smile, give it some extra attention,” he suggested. “‘Like it’ and leave a comment. Giving that post some engagement can help inspire more positive posts like it to show up on your feed.”