Millennials Fear Repercussions of Constant Social Media Use

A new report from the American Psychological Association was recently released, finding that about nine out of ten people that fall into the “millennial” age group (18-29) use social media. This may seem fairly logical, but the more concerning issue is that the report also found that nearly 50 percent of millennials fear that their frequent social media use is negatively affecting their health, but physically and mentally. The worst of this crowd, according to the report, are referred to as ‘constant checkers’, who are constantly looking at their texts, emails, or other social media platforms. People falling under this category, on average, reportedly have higher stress levels. Almost two-thirds of Americans believe that occasionally “unplugging” is important. About a fourth of that amount actually performs a technological detox.

As a millennial, this issue of social media overuse has been a topic that I have found myself thinking about more and more often. I would not even remotely consider myself a ‘constant checker’, though I would say that I do look at my social media accounts a fair amount. I have thought several times within that past couple of years about a technological detox of some sort, but I do not think it is a realistic proposition. I do use social media for recreational purposes, but it has also become important for academics. Schoolwork and social media are now inherently connected in many regards, so completely separating oneself from all social media accounts could also have negative consequences. I am not yet at the point where I believe that it is hurting my health, but I do have the concern that it could potentially in the future.