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Gen Z is blaming social media for mental health issues they experience as nearly half of young adults said that social media harms their confidence when they smile.
That's according to a Talker Research survey of two-thousand Gen Z social media users.
Key findings from the survey include:
- 53% of people compare their smiles to others on social media, and this figure is significantly higher among Gen Z (72%)
- 45% said that social media harms their confidence in their smile, with women feeling this confidence loss more than men, 53% to 35%, respectively
- Over half of those polled (56%) try to hide their smile in a variety of situations, with 34% hiding their teeth in photos
- 15% of people have edited the appearance of their teeth in a photo before posting it to social media
They say TikTok and Instagram are the main culprits, followed by Facebook.
Those who were surveyed spend between five and six hours on social media each day.
Just under half said social media prompts negative emotions, which can happen just over half an hour of signing on.
The survey was commissioned by LG Electronics, which said in a statement that they "encourage everyone to be more conscious about the social media content they choose to engage with."