Dive Brief:

• Thirty-four percent of Gen Zers, or people born between the mid-1990s and early 2000s, say they're permanently leaving social media, and 64% say they’re taking a break from the platforms, according to new research from Hill Holliday's in-house research group Origin cited in Campaign.
• The research also shows Gen Z's paradoxical view of social media: 41% say the platforms make them feel anxious, sad or depressed, but 77% say the platforms offer more benefits than drawbacks. Twenty-two percent say social media makes them feel like they're missing out, but 71% say the platforms have a positive effect on their relationships. Social media negatively impacts self-esteem, 29% of Gen Zers said, but 61% say it boosts their ego. Seventy-two percent said people their age spend too much time on social media, while 66% say the platforms help them make connections with people. 
• Some of the main reasons Gen Z members gave for considering leaving social media include the propensity for wasting too much time on the platforms (41%); too much negative content (35%); the fact that they do not use it very often (31%); a lack of interest in the content (26%); privacy concerns (22%); too much pressure to get attention (18%); too much commercialization (18%) and that social media makes them feel badly about themselves (17%). 

Dive Insight:

Gen Zers are widely considered to be more social media-savvy than any other generation, but as the new Origin research highlights, their feelings about social media can seem somewhat contradictory, which suggests that the sluggish interest levels from younger consumers that Facebook has already been experiencing could start spreading to other platforms. To best reach Gen Z, which has a purchasing power of $44 billion, marketers need to refocus their strategies on using social media for good to help Gen Z foster their own identities. Marketers should also invest in using social media to tell compelling brand stories and spread highly personalized, relevant messages.

Mental health and well-being are important to Gen Zers, which is why many report taking breaks or swearing off social media altogether. Members of Gen Z also tend to be distrusting of institutions and expect a lot from brands, rewarding those with strong values and that support the causes they care about. Gen Z has a strong sense of purpose, and 69% think that brands should help them achieve their goals and 30% said they have felt excluded by brands because of their identity, per PSFK research. Brands that position their social media content as educational or collaborative and unobtrusive stand the best chance of engaging Gen Z on social media.

About 65% of Gen Zers follow brands on social media, most often to access deals or promotions, the Origin study found. However, only 43% of users have purchased something directly from a social media platform. More than half (55%) said an ad on the platform led them to make a purchase, and 40% said a link posted by the brand helped drive the purchase.