The Great Digital Fatigue: How Burnout Is Reshaping Social Media
The great digital fatigue: How digital burnout is changing social media use
I found that people are quietly withdrawing from social media, posting less and tightening privacy settings. Maintaining an online presence now feels like work for over half of users, especially Gen Z and Millennials. While disconnecting brings peace, it also triggers anxiety, revealing a complex relationship with digital life driven by stress, polarization, and privacy concerns.
The maintenance of an online presence also means staying connected, yet stepping away from messaging platforms does not produce one clear emotional response.
- charltonraven
Its strange for me. Some years ago, I only thought that the younger kids/adults was had the "separation anxiety" when it came to social media, but I have a 40 year old sister in law that is purely obsessed and it is crazy. I'm a big tech person but I know how to put my phone down. Heck most of the time I don't even have it on me.
- TomMasz
Social media isn't "social" anymore. It's algorithmically designed to keep you scrolling. Burnout is inevitable.
- weagle05
I know many people who say they're "off" social media but they're still scrolling. They may post less or not at all, but the algorithm still has them.
- HelloUsername
Related (should've been source at): "Death of the Status Update: Why 55% of Americans Stopped Posting on Social Media" 12-jul-2026 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48879902 183 comments
- q8zd3
> "More than half (51%) of participants indicated that maintaining an online presence feels like work."
Well, because it is. Social media turned most of its users into digital beggars.