• 61% of consumers are doing more to monitor their own screen time.
• 72% of consumers have begun to unfollow certain people and accounts altogether.
• 66% of people have started to hide social media posts from people with differing views.
Type “social media” in the Google search bar and you’ll see words like
“questions beliefs”,
“leads to depression” and
“who are you really engaging with.” In fact, per Google Trends, queries like “social media harms your mental health” and “social media
seriously harms your mental health” have risen in the last 12 months, by
+5,000% and
+4,000% respectively.
It’s hardly surprising that topical headlines have centred on the dangers of screen time – especially to the minds of children.
Interested in the debate, OnBuy.com analysed a report by Mindshare entitled Trends 2019, which holds quantitative research from more than 6,000 consumers aged 18+ across the UK, plus social and search insights to help define themes.
OnBuy discovered the recent questioning of social media is mirrored in a change in consumer behaviour.
In 2019, 66% of consumers are sharing less about their lives on social media. Alternately,
58% of consumers are doing more to monitor someone else’s screen time (children, for example.) Further analysis revealed 59% of respondents find the prospect of social media companies running
courses to educate children about how to use tech responsibly appealing.
An additional
61% of consumers are doing more to monitor their own screen time, with 51% of 18-34-year-olds proclaiming they would welcome pop-up messages on social media warning about excessive usage.
Some consumers have taken a stance on digital dieting one step further.
66% have started to hide social media posts from people with views differing from their own, while
72% have begun to unfollow certain people and accounts altogether. Proving today, British consumers have little to no patience for social media content that makes them feel negative, depressed or uncertain.
Cas Paton, managing director of OnBuy.com, exclusively comments:
“Our dependence on digital platforms has left many with anxiety. It can make us feel distrustful – and rightly so. We know how easily data can be manipulated, how insidious fake news can be. At the same time, technology is beginning to lose its mystique.
Take GDPR for example. Perhaps, for the first time, we feel more informed and aware. As a result, consumers are taking ownership of their data and social media pages are a great place to start. This is reflected in the data we have analysed; we are sharing less, monitoring usage and managing what we do and do not see.
But, while it’s important to implement social safeguards, we can’t lose sight of the fact social media can be a fantastic tool for business and pleasure, when used appropriately and with care. Our focus should be on management and control; not banishment.”
Article provided by
Onbuy.com.
