Negative Perceptions of Social Media (Youth' and Parents' perceptions)

This chart from the 2026 Flash Eurobarometer 'Impact of excessive screen time and social media on young people’s mental health' survey shows that there is a high degree of generational alignment regarding the psychological pressures of social media. Unlike the 'utility gap' observed in positive perceptions, there is a high degree of agreement between parents and adolescents regarding the prevalence of social comparison and 'fear of missing out' (FOMO). Both groups report that approximately 45% of young people compare themselves to others and 41% suffer from FOMO. This suggests that these are widely recognised harms of the current digital environment. While parents slightly overestimate their child's stress and anxiety levels (38% vs. 33%), they significantly underestimate the extent of physical sleep disruption. Adolescents are 7 percentage points more likely to report difficulty falling asleep than their parents realise (38% vs 31%). Furthermore, almost one-third of adolescents (31%) report feeling 'sad' or 'left out' as a direct result of using social media.