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From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n
Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRead more<\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nGen Z is ghosting most social apps but TikTok still slaps \u2013\u00a0at least in terms of use rather than trust.<\/p>\n
The Harris Poll\u2019s TikTok Troubles: The Platform Gen Z Can\u2019t Quit (But Doesn\u2019t Trust) report, conducted this month, found that a strong majority of young adults continue to use the app daily, but their feelings about it are increasingly cringe. <\/p>\n
Gen\u202fZ \u2013 those born between 1997 and 2012 \u2013\u00a0is starting to pull back from social media, taking breaks not just to detox mentally, but to live more offline. Over half of those surveyed said they want to spend more time working out, while 42 percent want to hang with friends and family. Others are exploring creative pursuits as 42 percent want to dive into hobbies, and 39 percent are trying cooking or baking. Some 36 percent want more outdoor time, 34 percent are focused on side hustles and 19 percent are trying to get back into dating. <\/p>\n
Still, not everyone is over scrolling as 26 percent said social media still feels like self-care.<\/p>\n
Even while taking breaks, many Gen\u202fZ users are low-key caught in the scroll loop. About 31 percent admit they scroll out of habit, even when it\u2019s exhausting. Twenty-nine percent said they feel better when they unplug, and 24 percent admitted to getting hit with guilt over all that time spent scrolling. <\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Even the most internet-savvy Gen\u202fZ is drifting from social media, but TikTok remains a large part of many young people’s daily lives (Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nMany Gen Z users are only \u201clurking\u201d on social media, meaning they\u2019re scrolling without posting, liking, or commenting, a habit more common among Gen\u202fZ than any other generation, according to the findings. <\/p>\n
When it comes to culture and trends, TikTok remains the MVP. Roughly 65 percent of Gen\u202fZ use the app daily, and 37 percent say they hit TikTok first for pop culture, entertainment, and local vibes \u2013 almost double any other platform. <\/p>\n
But even their favorite app can be cheugy \u2013\u00a0that is, out of date or unfashionable \u2013 as 79 percent of respondents said they miss the early days when TikTok was just dancing and fun, before all the ads, influencer flexing, and TikTok Shop took over. Gen Z users are yearning for simpler times: 41 percent want fewer brands and ads, 34 percent miss unfiltered content and relatable posts, 33 percent miss the pre-TikTok Shop era, and 27 percent aren\u2019t vibing with influencer culture.<\/p>\n
TikTok is becoming more sus, too, respondents revealed. About 60 percent of Gen\u202fZ users say they trust the app less than they used to, while 74 percent are more cautious about what they engage with, and 51 percent think the platform is more censored than it was a year ago. <\/p>\n
Ownership changes have made 64 percent more aware of their data, and 28 percent worry about free speech on American-owned TikTok.<\/p>\n
\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>A whopping 79 percent of Gen Z survey respondents said they miss the early days when TikTok was simple and authentic, with feeds full of viral dances and fun (AFP via Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nThe platform is also taking a mental toll as 43 percent say it feels more mentally draining, 40 percent say it\u2019s overwhelming, and many find the algorithm slipping. Seventy-two percent think content is staged, 53 percent see it as more commercial, and 33 percent say they have to \u201ctrain\u201d the feed to see content they want. <\/p>\n
The platform is also taking a mental toll, with many users saying it feels mentally draining (43 percent) or overwhelming (40 percent). The algorithm isn\u2019t hitting like it used to, as 72 percent feel the content is staged and 53 percent think it\u2019s more commercial.<\/p>\n
Another 33 percent say their feed isn\u2019t as personalized since the ownership change, which came as TikTok dodged a U.S. ban by setting up a mostly American-owned joint venture with ByteDance.<\/p>\n
Still, TikTok isn\u2019t going anywhere. Even with skepticism, fatigue, and nostalgia for the OG app, 65 percent of Gen\u202fZ users say they show up daily, and 32 percent plan to use it even more. <\/p>\n
The Independent<\/em> has contacted TikTok for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Gen Z is ghosting most social apps but TikTok still slaps \u2013\u00a0at least in terms of use rather than trust. The Harris Poll\u2019s TikTok Troubles: The Platform Gen Z Can\u2019t Quit (But Doesn\u2019t Trust) report, conducted this month, found that a strong majority of young adults continue to use the app daily, but their feelings about it are increasingly cringe. Gen\u202fZ \u2013 those born between 1997 and 2012 \u2013\u00a0is starting to pull back from social media, taking breaks not just to detox mentally, but to live more offline. Over half of those surveyed said they want to spend more time working out, while 42 percent want to hang with friends and family. Others are exploring creative pursuits as 42 percent want to dive into hobbies, and 39 percent are trying cooking or baking. Some 36 percent want more outdoor time, 34 percent are focused on side hustles and 19 percent are trying to get back into dating. Still, not everyone is over scrolling as 26 percent said social media still feels like self-care. Even while taking breaks, many Gen\u202fZ users are…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13242,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13241"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13241\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}