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People who spend the most time online are more likely to suffer from burnout, and women are more affected than men, according to a European report. However, the 46,000 people surveyed attributed their discomfort mainly to work rather than social media.
60% of Europeans have already suffered from burnout, with a greater impact on young people aged 18 to 34, the report says.2024 STADA Health Report“The study, conducted among 46,000 respondents in 23 countries, highlights the leading role of social networks in this phenomenon.
The report highlights that younger people are more affected by burnout despite the little time spent in the world of work and studies. 69% of 18-34 year-olds are affected.
Social media plays a crucial role in mental exhaustion, the study confirms. People who spend the most time on social media are more likely to suffer from burnout (68% vs. 53%). Women are also more affected than men (65% vs. 54%).
They are also more severe towards themselves regarding their physical appearance. 51% of them think they are overweight and 38% constantly compare themselves to people on social networks. On the contrary, men pay little attention to their weight since “only” 28% attach importance to it and 21% feel social pressure.
Feelings of loneliness also go hand in hand with high use of social media. Among Europeans, 63% of 18-35 year-olds say they feel lonely, compared to 41% of those aged 55 and over. According to the report, social media plays a key role in this feeling. The majority of users, who say they spend a lot of time (64%) or a reasonable amount of time (53%) online, are more prone to this feeling of loneliness than other users who limit their screen time, 44% compared to 26%.
The observation is even more serious among those under 34, since 41% of them are more likely to stay in front of their screen for longer than those aged 35-54 (22%) and those over 55 (13%).
However, only 20% of young Europeans explain their increased feeling of loneliness by their excessive use of social networks or video games. For the latter, work weighs more heavily in the balance. 27% of young Europeans attribute this negative feeling to their work, 15% to remote work and childcare responsibilities, 14% to the loss of a loved one and moving for professional reasons.
Women (57%) feel more lonely than men (46%). They are also more likely to explain this situation because of responsibilities related to children, 16% compared to 8% of men.
Slide: Symptoms of burnout