Zoetermeer -71.2% of Dutch people think society would be better off without social media, according to recent research by internetvergelijk.nl in collaboration with 71.2% by Multiscope.
Of the 1243 respondents, 19.0% were firmly convinced that we would be better off without social networks. A larger proportion, 52.2%, do see benefits in social media, but nevertheless believe that life would be better without these platforms. Only 16.6% think the benefits of social media outweigh the drawbacks, while 12.2% had no clear opinion.
Young adults most critical
The attitude of young adults (aged 18-34) towards social media is striking. An overwhelming 76.51% of this group believe in a better life without these platforms. Among the group over 55, who were introduced to social media later in life, a majority of 64.17% also share this view.
When comparing men and women, it appears that women, at 73.17%, are slightly more likely to believe that society would be better off without social media, compared with 69.65% of men.
Concern for teenagers
No specific data are available for children up to 18 years old. Nevertheless, Marijn Jurriaans, NVO Orthopedagogue Generalist, warns about the influence of social networks on young people: "Young teenagers are increasingly experiencing problems due to distracting and shocking content, driven by algorithms."
The results are confirmed by the Youth Survey 2023, which shows that 62% of young people consider themselves addicted to social media. This percentage is even higher for the youngest group aged 15 to 21. Moreover, 30% of young people report negative feelings such as insecurity, sadness or depression after using social media.
