Young People Embrace 'Quiet Revolution' Against Social Media

Gen Z and millennials are deleting social media apps and turning to analog hobbies like vinyl records and flip phones to combat digital burnout.

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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A growing number of young people, particularly Gen Z and millennials, are deleting their social media accounts and embracing analog hobbies like vinyl records, brick phones, and in-person socializing. They cite the increasing pressures and negative mental health impacts of being constantly online as key drivers for this 'quiet revolution' against social media. Experts say this shift reflects a desire among younger generations to regain control over their lives and identities, which they feel have been diminished by the commercialization and divisiveness of social media platforms.

Why it matters

This trend highlights the growing backlash against the pervasive influence of social media, especially among younger demographics who have grown up immersed in digital technology. As more young people disconnect from social media, it could have significant implications for how companies and brands engage with this audience, as well as broader societal shifts around mental health, interpersonal relationships, and the value placed on analog experiences.

The details

Account manager Matt Richards, 23, deleted all his social media apps last year and noticed immediate benefits, from better connecting with people in real life to feeling more confident. Richards said social media no longer feels 'fun' with AI-driven content, influencer marketing, and constant lifestyle comparisons. Many of his Gen Z friends have also caught on to this trend, which is going viral on platforms like TikTok. A 2025 Deloitte survey found nearly a quarter of all consumers had deleted a social media app in the previous 12 months, rising to nearly a third for Gen Zers. Experts say the 'nastiness and divisiveness' online, including from leaders and politicians, is driving young people away as they seek more balance, security, and safety in their lives.

  • In 2025, a Deloitte consumer trends survey found that nearly a quarter of all consumers had deleted a social media app in the previous 12 months.
  • By the end of 2024, global adults 16 and over spent an average of two hours and 20 minutes per day on social platforms, down almost 10% since 2022, with the decline being particularly pronounced amongst teens and 20-something-year-olds.

The players

Matt Richards

A 23-year-old account manager who deleted all his social media apps last year and noticed immediate benefits, from better connecting with people in real life to feeling more confident.

Lucy Stace

A 36-year-old millennial entrepreneur who is limiting her social media use because it's 'diminishing' her mental health despite it being essential to her business.

Julianna Salguero

A 31-year-old social media manager who said social media stopped being 'cool' when politicians and brands started using the platform.

Ysabel Gerrard

A digital media lecturer at the University of Sheffield who said going offline is a way for young people to take back control of their lives, as social media forces users to go through an 'extremely exhausting process' of having to create an identity and edit themselves.

Chris Beer

A GWI analyst who believes the shift away from social media is largely due to 'structural time allocation' rather than an 'attitude-driven wholesale rejection of digital media.'

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What they’re saying

“I think people back then used to take a break from the real world by going on their phone, but now people are taking a break from their phone to spend time in the real world.”

— Matt Richards, Account Manager (CNBC Make It)

“I feel like social media is now more like a pressure platform … you're being sold everything, everywhere.”

— Matt Richards, Account Manager (CNBC Make It)

“We are just inundated all of the time with so much information … our brains aren't capable of handling that much information. We're actually diminishing our brain's capacity to be able to look inward and listen to ourselves, and we're value tagging all of these things that aren't actually important to us.”

— Lucy Stace, Millennial Entrepreneur (CNBC Make It)

“The more that we see brands and government officials and everybody being as online as you are, as a casual user, the more you're going to want to pull back and switch it.”

— Julianna Salguero, Social Media Manager (CNBC Make It)

“There's an unbelievable wealth of literature now to tell us that the person we are on social media is not, and cannot be, the same person who we are in face-to-face settings. It's so much more than a trend.”

— Ysabel Gerrard, Digital Media Lecturer, University of Sheffield (CNBC Make It)

What’s next

As more young people continue to disconnect from social media, it will be important to monitor how this trend evolves and impacts various industries, from marketing and advertising to social interaction and mental health services.

The takeaway

The growing backlash against social media among Gen Z and millennials reflects a desire for more control, authenticity, and balance in their lives. This 'quiet revolution' could have far-reaching implications, challenging the dominance of digital platforms and prompting a resurgence of analog experiences and in-person connections.