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By Movieguide® Staff
Social media has not disappeared, but plenty of Americans say they are pulling back from the pressure to post, reply and keep up.
More than half of respondents in a new survey said maintaining an online presence “feels like work.”
ZDNET reported that Incogni surveyed 1,000 US adults from June 1 through June 9. Fifty-five percent said they post less now than they did five years ago, while 53% said they have become stricter about who can see what they share.
The results do not mean people have walked away from social media altogether. Instead, they suggest a quieter shift: more people may be choosing smaller audiences, more private spaces and fewer public updates.
That distinction matters for families. A person can spend time watching videos, messaging friends or scrolling through a feed without feeling ready to turn his or her own life into a public performance.
The survey also found that 47% of respondents had deleted a social or messaging app because of stress or anxiety. Younger adults reported that choice at higher rates, with 61% of millennials and 56% of Generation Z respondents saying they had removed an app for that reason.
Related: 2-Time Super Bowl Champ Sounds Off Against Social Media: ‘Worse Than Drugs’
Incogni’s findings are a snapshot of self-reported behavior, not proof that every platform or every age group is becoming less active. Still, the responses show why it is wise to separate public posting from private communication, entertainment and simple habit.
Fifty-one percent of the people surveyed said keeping up an online presence feels like work. For Generation Z, that share rose to 60%, while 38% of baby boomers said the same.
The tension can feel familiar at home. Social media can offer a quick way to share a family milestone or stay in touch with a faraway friend, but it can also invite comparison, distraction and an exhausting sense that every moment needs a response.
The US Surgeon General’s 2023 advisory urged families, companies and policymakers to take youth safety seriously, saying more research and stronger protections are needed. The advisory did not claim that social media explains every mental-health concern, but it called for healthier digital environments and more support for young people.
Parents do not need to treat every app as an enemy. They can begin with ordinary questions: Is this tool helping our family connect, learn or create, or is it quietly taking attention away from sleep, conversation and real life?
A little distance can be a gift. Choosing a smaller audience, silencing notifications or putting the phone aside during a meal may not solve every online problem, but it can make room for the people right in front of us.
That kind of choice is not a retreat from friendship. It is a reminder that healthy connection can be deliberate, personal and grounded in the people God has already placed in our homes, churches and neighborhoods.
As the survey suggests, less public posting does not necessarily mean less care for other people. It may simply mean that some Americans are rediscovering that attention is finite and worth spending well.
Read Next: 20-Year-Old Suing Social Media Companies Speaks Out About Devastating Addiction
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