(Fernando Gutierrez-Juarez/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Chicago — Some Gen Z are regaining control of their time by logging off of social media platforms, for now.
That’s according to the New York Post, which spoke with young people and from new research revealed that the generation is less captivated by platforms like Instagram.
A recent survey by Piper Sandler, found only 22% of respondents between the ages of 7 and 22 named the platform as their favorite, down from 31% in spring 2020.
Some said they decided to quit the platforms because they were comparing themselves to their peers. Pat Hamrick, a senior at Penn State, said he stepped away for the sake of his mental health.
“(Social media had me subconsciously comparing myself to others and it really ate at me,” he told the Post. “I was asking myself, ‘Am I doing the right things, am I having the right kind of fun?’”
Gabriella Steinerman, 20, said she stopped using IG and TikTok in 2019, noting she felt immediate relief after unplugging.
“When I was posting I wanted the best photo that I took and the best angle and I had 20 different photos of the same thing. I was comparing myself to myself, it’s not a fun game,” she said, calling that behavior “obsessive and toxic.”