Are We Done With Social Media? Why Millennials and Gen Z Are Logging Off

For the longest time, social media was positioned as the ultimate gateway to opportunity – a place to build visibility, community, and career momentum, all from the palm of your hand. It was the essential infrastructure of modern life.

But lately, something has shifted. Without much announcement, more Millennials and Gen Z are choosing to log off. Not completely. But deliberately. This includes Gen Alpha, the supposed “digital native” generation, who, contrary to expectations, isn’t as hooked on the scroll as their predecessors.

What looks like simple disengagement on the surface is, in reality, a deeper, structural recalibration of how time, energy, and attention are spent in a world that increasingly demands constant visibility.

Just a while back, news broke that the Australian government announced steps towards banning social media for teenagers under 16. Now, in February, both the UK and Spain are pushing for similar measures. This shift is happening alongside the rise of digital detox culture, a greater emphasis on mental health, and the overwhelming spread of AI-generated content, bots, and aggressive advertising across social media platforms. It’s understandable that more people are choosing to log off, go outside, and touch some grass.

Social platforms are louder than ever. Algorithms change overnight, content cycles move at extreme speed, and the pressure to remain relevant feels relentless. Specific content can become trendy after months, and what’s already trending can become outdated in a matter of weeks. I’m personally exhausted with whatever change Instagram is now bringing - Adam Mosseri, please stop making us panic with your back end decisions. For that reason, we are focusing on fewer and focused or literally having fun - because we can’t beat the algorithm or the coders puppeteering us.

For many people, especially younger generations who have grown up online, the cost of always being “on” is becoming clearer – emotionally, mentally, and creatively. We went from screen time being a casual average of over two hours a day on social media alone to 14+ hours total daily screen time for work, entertainment, and doom scrolling.

But what drove this massive fatigue? Data shows that digital fatigue often comes from burnout from performance, not just a work thing

This performance exhaustion isn’t just anecdotal. It’s a verified structural problem, and the resulting decline in mental health symptoms is the clearest evidence platforms are actively eroding well-being. Several recent studies confirm the persistent strain platforms put on us:

• Emotional Strain and Self-Doubt: A 2025 survey by the British Standards Institution (BSI) found that nearly 70% of 16- to 21-year-olds feel worse about themselves after spending time on social media. This aligns with earlier findings that platforms deepen feelings of inadequacy, particularly among young women who report higher levels of social comparison.

• The Urgent Need for a Break: The rising compulsion to use these platforms is driving a mental health crisis. New data from the WHO Regional Office for Europe reveals a sharp rise in problematic social media use among adolescents, jumping from 7% in 2018 to 11% in 2022, characterised by addiction-like symptoms and negative consequences in daily life.

The good news? The solution is effective and simple. New evidence is confirming the deep relief that comes from logging off:

• Mental Health Boost: A study of young adults published in JAMA Network Open found that a one-week social media detox resulted in symptoms of anxiety dropping by 16.1%, depression by 24.8%, and insomnia by 14.5%. This quantitative proof shows that ditching those variable rewards lowers overall stress levels.

It appears that an increasing number of Millennials are taking breaks or switching off altogether, often due to feelings of anxiety. Interestingly, according to research by Attest, Millennials agreed to the statement “social media has a positive influence on society” at 24%, which is less than Generation Z, who agreed at 31%. This suggests a weariness that’s hitting the older digital generation hard.

But the shift is more than just emotional, but existential. People are tired of:

• Misinformation fatigue: No one knows what’s real anymore.

• AI-generated noise: Everything feels fake, low-effort, and misinforming.

• The Zero-Sum Game: Performance on the platforms no longer guarantees real-world returns.

Logging off isn’t about rejecting ambition or connection. It’s about recognising that constant exposure doesn’t automatically lead to fulfilment, clarity, or progress. In many cases, it does the opposite. I even wrote about this for HELLO! magazine in 2023 - so it’s not a new trend, but an ongoing reality.

Forget the digital detox challenge. The generation logging off isn’t just taking a break; they are reclaiming their time. And no, they haven’t given up on connection at all, they’ve simply decided to reject the tireless transactional performance of the public feed. What you’re seeing is a huge shift back to formats that value intimacy, utility, and real human depth over passive consumption.

One reason why we brought back our newsletter and are limiting our social posts is exactly this - you told us that the information age is noisy and that quality matters over quantity. There’s no right formula. Maybe weekly isn’t enough for your inbox, or maybe the length of the copy is too long - either way, feedback is queen and we are happy to listen!

Here’s where the smart people are spending their time, energy, and attention:

• Private communities (Substack, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack)

• Long-form content over short dopamine hits

• Audio (podcasts > reels)

• In-person events, workshops, slower networking

• Career-building offline again (mentors, referrals, real conversations) - our mentoring career programme will be back this year, so watch this space!

We, for one, are taking time out to focus on wellbeing, reading and learning. Yes, we will be relaunching co-working and coffee meet-ups, but if we’re being honest, let’s not add to the noise right now. Maybe a future book club and quarterly meetings will be scheduled in the calendar - what do you think?

We’ve been speaking to a number of companies who are also seeing this trend, especially ahead of IWD and other calendar moments. So the question is: how can we re-engage community without turning it into a commodity, especially if people are intentionally disconnecting to reconnect? There’s no right or wrong answer, only some very cool case studies to explore!

In the workplace, you might find colleagues feeling tired or unsure whether they belong. In these moments, we recommend clear agendas, scheduled 1:1s, and limiting virtual meetings to 50 minutes - optimal timing to get to the point and take a break. Leaders, time-block your lunches, your gym, and your wellbeing - and encourage your staff to do the same! It’s the design principles behind this detox that matter most, helping to boost creativity and career confidence - because, at the end of the day, we are all still human.

Look, I’m not here to hand out assignments or throw down a “digital detox challenge.” That’s just adding more pressure to your already full calendar.

The core intention of this newsletter isn’t to issue a challenge or enforce a rule. It’s to prove, using data, that you have a choice. For years, the digital world convinced us that being “always on” was mandatory for success. The new evidence, however, suggests the opposite: true optimisation and clarity often require strategic subtraction.

The only way to determine your best path forward is through honest, quiet reflection. So, grab your favorite drink, find a comfortable seat, and take 10 minutes this week to sit with these three questions:

So, is it safe to say that we are done with social media?
Well, maybe not entirely, but we’re definitely done letting it control our time.

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Many of these themes are explored more deeply in my upcoming book with Bloomsbury Publishing - a modern-day take on How to Win Friends and Influence People, focused on the intersection of media, business networking, and technology. I’m documenting the process of writing the first draft in 30 days online, while also mindfully organising information on an international scale, remembering that not everyone has the same opportunities as the UK, despite maybe having the access.

Several chapters explore disconnection, the dark side of networking and the impact of social media usage. If you’re interested in learning more or contributing, you can get involved here: 👇https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScFezLn7iK4XSW576NctaMjPUA9busF-KNti5qpS29NMWD-Yg/viewform

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Sonya Barlow,
Founder & CEO, LMF Network | Author & Presenter

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📖 Article to read: The economics of empathy: why human connection is the future of business | World Economic Forum | Learn here

🎙️ Show I loved this week: Industry - it’s finally back and people are invested because of the weekly drops | Watch here

📚 Book to check out: Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most by Cassie Holmes - it’s a very informative book! | Read here

Got a question you’d like us to tackle? Send us your AMA (Ask Me Anything) for next week’s discussion!

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