Over six million Dutch people are unhappy because of social media, but no one stops

About 6.3 million Dutch people believe that social media is a "threat to our mental well-being", the AD wrote. Of this group, 2.2 million people state that they specifically feel less happy because of their social media use. In addition, more than four million Dutch people have often thought about leaving Facebook, Instagram or TikTok, but have not done so.

This is evident from the National Social Media Survey that research agency Newcom conducts annually. The problems occur most among Gen Z and Millennials, who not only spend the most time on social media but also say they are the least happy when using the platforms.

According to AD, the number of social media users in the Netherlands has risen steadily. At this moment, around 14.3 million Dutch people are said to be scrolling freely, compared to one million fewer five years ago. The 20 to 39 age group in particular has started to use more platforms and is becoming more active every day.

Lead researcher Tim Jonker notes a "big contradiction" in the figures. "Young people suffer a lot from FOMO, the fear of missing out," he explains. "They're afraid they'll miss something if they don't scroll all day. And one in three of those surveyed say they gain more self-confidence by using social media. Half of users experience social media as a supplement to their real lives.

At the same time, however, social media also fuels election stress and the fear of not living up to the perfect image, argues Jonker. "There are too many events and hobbies, especially on social media," he explains. "Wasn't another party a lot more fun than the one you went to? Did you choose the right clothes to match? Influencers paint a perfect picture that users want to live up to at all costs. This dark side is coming out in more and more people."

Jonker emphasizes that he has not investigated how to fix this problem: "These are issues that the government should be looking at, we are just observing the trends." More than 7100 people were surveyed for the study, providing a representative picture of the Dutch population aged 15 and over.