Members of Hong Kong’s Generation Z tend to underestimate the negative impact of social media on their mental health, with frequent users reporting higher levels of loneliness than those who do not use these platforms, according to a recent survey.

The Hong Kong Christian Service (HKCS) conducted a poll of 572 young people aged 11 to 24 between September and December last year to explore the relationship between social media use and social isolation. About 54% of respondents were junior secondary pupils in Forms One to Three, while 37.4% were senior secondary students.

The survey found that 93.4% of respondents were active social media users. Using the UCLA Loneliness Scale, social media users scored an average of 20.5 out of 40, indicating a level of loneliness between low and moderate. In contrast, non-users scored lower at 17.7. Additionally, 5.8% of active users (31 respondents) were potentially experiencing severe social isolation, compared with only one non-user.

These findings highlight a discrepancy between Generation Z’s perception and the actual impact of social media on their mental well-being.

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