Internet: Many young people see social media addiction in their surroundings
Endless scrolling and following in everyday life: Surveys show that many children and young people use social media to a risky or pathological extent. Young people themselves also observe this in acquaintances.
A survey by the Postbank found that eight in ten 16- to 18-year-olds believe there are people in their social circle who are addicted to social media. According to a DAK-Gesundheit study, over a quarter of children and adolescents use social media in a risky or pathological way, with around 350,000 considered addicted. A research team at the University of Bochum found that over a quarter of adults also exhibit "addictive-like behavior" when it comes to social media.
Many young people take action against online abuse, with over half having left a channel due to excessive aggression or untruths and a third having deactivated their own profile. The Postbank's "Jugend-Digitalstudie 2026" surveyed 1,000 16- to 18-year-olds in July.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
