Are you consciously reducing the hours you spend scrolling through social feeds? You are not alone. A significant shift in digital habits is underway across the developed world, with new data confirming a marked decline in social media engagement.
The Great Scrollback: What the Data Shows
According to a major analysis conducted for the Financial Times by the digital audience insights company GWI, the time we spend on social platforms has peaked and is now falling. The research, which looked at a vast sample of 250,000 adults across more than 50 countries, found that the average daily time spent on social media in the developed world was 2 hours and 20 minutes at the end of 2024.
This figure represents a nearly 10 percent decline since 2022, when usage hit its highest point. The study pinpoints that the most substantial drops in screen time are occurring amongst younger users, signalling a potential generational turn away from the platforms that have dominated the last decade.
Why Are People Logging Off?
This trend raises a crucial question: what is driving this digital pullback? Many users report feeling fatigued by the state of the online world. Common grievances include the proliferation of low-quality AI-generated content, a phenomenon often dubbed the 'enshittification' of platforms where user experience deteriorates for profit.
Other factors compelling people to reconsider their online habits include an overload of unsolicited advice, often called 'advice pollution', and a weariness with polarising and divisive content. For some, the motivation is a positive one: a desire to rediscover the simple, unplugged joy of boredom and to reclaim their free time for offline pursuits.
Share Your Digital Detox Story
The Guardian wants to hear from readers who are actively changing their relationship with social media. Are you limiting your time on these platforms, or have you deleted some accounts entirely? What apps have you decided to keep, and what prompted your decision?
We are interested in how you are managing this change and how it has affected your life. What are you doing with the free time you have gained? Your insights will help paint a clearer picture of this modern social shift.
You can share your experience anonymously via our secure, encrypted form. All personal data will be handled in strict accordance with our privacy policy and terms of service.
