Seventy per cent of people wouldn’t give up their social media accounts for less than $10,000, despite a strong majority acknowledging they contribute to poor mental health.
That’s according to a survey of social media users by the Reboot Foundation, which also found 40 per cent said they would choose to keep their social media accounts over their cars, TVs and even their pets.
The survey, from the Paris based foundation focusing on fostering critical thinking, asked more than 1,000 social media users about their usage and impact on their lives.
Helen Lee Bouygues, Reboot’s founder and president, says the results show the deep and somewhat disturbing attachments users have to their social media accounts.
“Even though users recognise the deleterious effects social media has on their mental health, they’re unwilling–or unable–to limit their use of these platforms. It’s not unlike a smoker and their cigarettes,” she says.
Participants were asked whether they thought their social media use intensified any of the following feelings or conditions: anxiety, depression, difficulty concentrating, loneliness, or low self-esteem.
For each of these conditions, more than 50 per cent of respondents indicated those feelings were at least ‘somewhat’ intensified by social media, while at least 20 per cent for each option indicated they were ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ intensified.
Despite acknowledging social media’s harmful impact on their mental health, only about a third said that they take steps to limit their social media use, such as deleting or suspending social media accounts, turning off their phones, or limiting content on their feeds.