Social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook are not just places for entertainment – they have a direct effect on personal wellbeing. Younger generations are particularly concerned: one in six Gen Z internet users admits to spending at least five hours a day online, according to a study conducted by Adobe.
The impact of this hyperconnectedness goes far beyond simple distraction: the study shows that nearly one user in six (14%) depends on social networks for their mental health and wellbeing – a phenomenon more pronounced in Germany (17%), the US, and South Africa (16% each).
The findings also reveal that lack of access to social networks can provoke negative emotions: 53% of users feel boredom when they cannot connect, while 22% experience FOMO, or fear of missing out.
Young people are once again more affected: 67% of Gen Z users say they feel bored and 28% feel FOMO in these situations.
Social networks have become reservoirs of interaction and social validation, especially among the younger generations, with 29% of Gen Z users admitting to depending on “likes” and interactions to feel validated.
Meanwhile, 12% of millennials and 15% of Gen Z-ers go so far as to create engagement groups to help one another as creators, with the aim of alerting participants to new content they can boost on social networks to create social virality.
If a post does not get good results, 37% of respondents admitted to deleting the post – a reaction more common in South Africa (57%) and Mexico (48%). Paradoxically, 34% of respondents prefer not to see the number of likes under their posts.
While some users seek validation, the vast majority post primarily to share their experiences (73%), or to stay connected to those around them (56%).
For 38%, social networks are a remedy for boredom, while 35% use them for entertainment. A minority (18%) even see them as an escape from reality.
On average, users spend just over two hours a day on social networks. South Africans spend the most time with an average of 3.5 hours, followed by Mexicans (2.8 hours) and Americans (2.2 hours).
Overall, 35% of respondents believe they need to spend one to two hours a day on social networks to feel satisfied – a figure that raises questions about the role of digital technology in our psychological equilibrium.