BRUSSELS, July 5 — People who spend the most time on social media are more prone to burnout, and women are more affected than men, according to a European report. However, young Europeans attribute their feelings of loneliness mainly to work, rather than to social networks.
Sixty per cent of Europeans have already suffered from or at least experienced temporary feelings of burnout, especially young people aged 18 to 34, reports the “2024 Stada Health Report.” The research, carried out among 46,000 respondents in 23 countries, highlights the role of social networks in this phenomenon.
The report points out that younger people are more affected by burnout, despite having spent less time in the world of work and study. Some 69 per cent of 18- to 34-year-olds report being familiar with burnout.
Social networks play a key role in mental exhaustion, the report says. People who spend the most time on social media are more likely to suffer burnout (68 per cent vs. 53 per cent). Women are also more affected than men (65 per cent vs. 54 per cent).
They are also more critical of their own physical appearance: 51 per cent think they are overweight, and 38 per cent constantly compare themselves to people on social networks. In contrast, men pay less attention to their weight, with “only” 28 per cent attaching importance to this, and 21 per cent feeling social pressure.
The feeling of loneliness also goes hand in hand with high use of social networks. Among Europeans, 63 per cent of 18- to 35-year-olds say they feel lonely, compared to 41 per cent of those aged 55 and over. According to the report, social media plays a key role in this feeling. The majority of users claiming to spend a lot of time (64 per cent) or a fair amount of time (53 per cent) online are more prone to feelings of loneliness than other users with less screen time, at 44 per cent versus 26 per cent.
The situation is especially concerning among the under-34s, 41 per cent of whom are more likely to spend long hours on screens, compared to the 35-54 age group (22 per cent) and the over-55s (13 per cent).
Yet only 20 per cent of young Europeans explain their feeling of increased loneliness by their excessive use of social networks or video games. For the latter, work weighs more heavily in the balance. Twenty-seven per cent of young Europeans attribute this negative feeling to their work, 15 per cent to remote working and childcare responsibilities, 14 per cent to the loss of a loved one, and 14 per cent to relocation for professional reasons.
Women (57 per cent) feel lonelier than men (46 per cent). A higher proportion of women (16 per cent) than men (8 per cent) explain this situation as being due to childcare responsibilities. — ETX Studio
