《Common Sense：2024美國青少年“磨礪文化”(Grind Culture)研究報告：壓力、倦怠與社交媒體的雙重影響分析（英文版）（60頁）.pdf》由會員分享，可在線閱讀，更多相關《Common Sense：2024美國青少年“磨礪文化”(Grind Culture)研究報告：壓力、倦怠與社交媒體的雙重影響分析（英文版）（60頁）.pdf（60頁珍藏版）》請在三個皮匠報告上搜索。

1、2024Unpacking Grind Culture in American Teens:Pressure,Burnout,and the Role of Social MediaCOMMON SENSE IS GRATEFUL FOR THE GENEROUS SUPPORT AND UNDERWRITING THAT FUNDED THIS RESEARCH REPORTJennifer Caldwell and John H.N.FisherPivotal VenturesSusan Crown Exchange2024Unpacking Grind Culture in Americ

2、an Teens:Pressure,Burnout,and the Role of Social MediaSuggested citation:Weinstein,E.,Konrath,S.,Lara,E.A.,Tench,B.,James,C.,Mann,S.,&Lenhart,A.(2024).Unpacking grind culture in American teens:Pressure,burnout,and the role of social media.San Francisco,CA:Common Sense Media,Center for Digital Thrivi

3、ng,and Indiana University.CreditsAuthorsEmily Weinstein,EdD,Executive Director,Center for Digital ThrivingSara Konrath,PhD,Associate Professor,Lilly Family School of PhilanthropyEduardo Lara,BA,Research Specialist,Center for Digital ThrivingBeck Tench,PhD,Researcher and Designer,Center for Digital T

4、hrivingCarrie James,PhD,Managing Director,Center for Digital Thriving Supreet Mann,PhD,Director of Research,Common Sense MediaAmanda Lenhart,MA,Head of Research,Common Sense MediaAcknowledgmentsThe report authors and project team would like to express their gratitude to all of the young people who s

5、hared their perspectives and insights for this report.We would also like to thank Sara Konrath(Indiana University)for leading data analysis and Yuning Liu(Harvard University)for her support on the early analyses for this report.Additionally,we thank Destinee Ramos(Harvard University)for her feedback

6、 on the survey and support in facilitating co-interpretation,and Beck Tench for the gorgeous graphics.We are so grateful to Jacqueline Nesi and Jennifer Wallace for their substantive reviews and thoughtful suggestions as we worked to capture the complexity in the data and make the findings accessibl

7、e and useful.We would also like to thank the people behind the scenes who make these reports possible:Chris Arth,Christopher Dare,Emely Garcia,Jennifer Robb,and Alice Seiler for the copy edit and design;Christian Medina Beltz,Margaret Corona,Natalia Garcia,Susan Guibert,Adriene Davis Kalugyer,Macken

8、zie Kreitler,and Marisa Naughton for their marketing and communication work;Laura Ordoez for her work creating materials for parents and caregivers based on this report;and the internal review team at Common Sense Media,who brought their expertise and insight to the report draft.Thanks,too,to our co

9、lleagues at SSRS,Kristen Conrad and Jania Marshall,who helped us realize our survey design vision.Table of ContentsKey Findings.1Summary of Methods .8Introduction.9The Current Study .11Unpacking Grind Culture:Pressures and Burnout.12Different Types of Pressure.14Game Plan.14Achievement .15Appearance

10、 .15Social Life and Friendship.16Activism .16What Contributes?.19A Closer Look at Social Media .21A Closer Look at Gaming .28Burnout .30Self-Care Practices.33Spotlight:LGBTQ+Teens .40Conclusion.42What Helps?Advice from Teens.43Methodology .45References.47Appendix.50vI UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMER

11、ICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIG

12、HTS RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 11.A majority of American teens feel at least one of six types of pressure.A majority(81%)of American teens report experiencing pressure that makes them feel bad in at least one of six domains,and mo

13、re than half(52%)say they personally expe-rience this negative pressure in three or more domains.At the same time,19%report no feelings of pressure in any domain we examined.Im scared because what if I dont meet the stan-dards that everyones hoping?You want to seem like the most impressive person,th

14、e person that does all this,the person thats the president of all these clubs.And its like you cant do all these clubs,you dont have enough time,you have to study.And its just overwhelming because you feel like youre not doing enough.Black teen girl,11th gradePressures vary by teen,and those that we

15、igh heavily on some are not relevant at all to others.Below are the six types of pressure we asked about1 and the percentage of teens who say the pressure negatively affects them personally somewhat or very much:Game Plan:56%of American teens feel pressure to have their future life figured out(e.g.,

16、college,career,relationships).Achievement:53%of teens feel pressure to be excep-tional and impressive through their achievements(e.g.,honors classes,good grades,jobs).Appearance:51%of teens feel pressure to look their best or present themselves in a certain way(e.g.,follow trends,have a certain body

17、 type).Social Life:44%feel pressure related to having an active and visible social life(e.g.,hanging out with friends,going to social events/parties).Friendship:41%feel pressure to stay available and be supportive to friends(e.g.,respond to texts/social media from friends right away,be there when ne

18、eded).Activism:32%feel pressure to do good for their com-munity or the world,or to be informed about different issues(e.g.,helping community members,supporting or giving money to causes,keeping up with the news).One of my grinds,for me,is the constant need to be the best or just constantly be able t

19、o perform and excel at everything I do because of the sense that if youre not constantly performing at an amazing rate,youre not doing enough.Youre not enough.Just a constant need to be perfect or else its just you dont feel like you belong or youre not enough.LGBTQ+Latinx teen,10th gradeIdentities

20、matter:Girls and nonbinary teens(compared to boys)and LGBTQ+teens(compared to cisgender and non-LGBTQ+teens)report greater feelings of pressure in every domain.These differences by gender and sexual orientation are all statistically significant.Teens from families of higher socioeconomic status(in t

21、erms of income and parental education)report more pressure specifically related to having a Game Plan,to Achievement,and to their Appearance.Higher parental education was also associated with more Social Life pressure.Key Findings1 For the full question wording for this and all data in this report,p

22、lease see the survey questionnaire,available at https:/monsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/teen-grind-pressures-study-2023-questionnaire.pdf.2 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS O

23、F HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.Pressures Experienced by U.S.TeensSOMEWHATVERY56%51%44%41%32%53%Game PlanAchievementAppearanceSocial LifeFriendshipActivismNote:This chart illustrates the six types of pressure experienced by American teens.Game Plan pressu

24、re(56%),Achievement pressure(53%),and Appearance pressure(51%)affect over half of teens surveyed.Social Life pressure(44%),Friendship pressure(41%),and Activism pressure(32%)impact fewer than half of teens.The percentages listed on the right represent teens who report that each pressure affects them

25、 somewhat(orange)or very much(red).The percentages listed on the left(in gray)represent teens who report that each pressure affects them not at all or a little.Intensity of Pressures Experienced by U.S.Teens,by GenderNOT AT ALLA LITTLESOMEWHATVERYCisgender boyCisgender girlNonbinaryNOT AT ALLA LITTL

26、ESOMEWHATVERYNOT AT ALLA LITTLESOMEWHATVERYNOT AT ALLA LITTLESOMEWHATVERYNOT AT ALLA LITTLESOMEWHATVERYNOT AT ALLA LITTLESOMEWHATVERYGame PlanAchievementAppearanceSocial LifeFriendshipActivismNote:Nonbinary teens report higher levels of pressure across all domains,and cisgender girls generally repor

27、t more pressure than cisgender boys.This graphic is based on the question How much does this pressure affect you personally?Each figure represents a point on a four-point scale,where 1=Not at all and 4=Very.The differences shown here are all statistically significant.2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRES

28、IDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 32.More than one-quarter of American teens struggle with burnout.Burnout involves feelings of emotional exhaustion,c

29、ynicism,and a lack of confidence that your effort will make a differ-ence(Maslach&Leiter,2016;Npoles,2022).Most American teens(73%)say they are not feeling burned out,but more than one in four teens(27%)say that they are actively strug-gling with burnout.We found that pressures and feelings of burno

30、ut coexist in teens.Teens who report feeling more types of pressure and a greater intensity of pressure are more likely to also report feeling burned out.American Teens Feelings of Burnout1I have no symptoms of burnout.73%Not Burned OutScored 1 or 227%Burned OutScored 3,4,or 52I dont always have as

31、much energy as I once did,but I dont feel burned out.3I am definitely burning out.4 or 5The symptoms of burnout wont go away;I often wonder if I can go on.Note:This chart shows the extent of burnout among American teens.More than one in four teens(27%)are actively struggling with burnout(responses 3

32、5),while 73%are not feeling burned out(responses 12).What creates burnout in my life would be things that put pressure on me,I suppose.Latino teen boy,12th gradeI think of burnout like an overused machine in a fac-tory Youre just doing the same thing over and over,and you dont feel like you really h

33、ave a purpose.Black teen girl,11th grade4 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.4.Social media has a dual influence:It may

34、 amplify pressures,but can also reduce them.A majority of teens say that social media at least sometimes amplifies(worsens)every pressure they feel.Fully three-quarters of teens who feel Appearance pres-sure say social media makes it worse at least sometimes,and a similar proportion who experience S

35、ocial Life and Activism pressures say that social media makes them worse.Two-thirds say the same about Game Plan,Achievement,and Friendship pressures.At the same time,meaningful proportions of teens(39%to 52%)say that social media at least sometimes decreases each pressure.Thus,teens reports reveal

36、a complex interplay between social media and pressureone that is negative-leaning,but not without instances of positive influence.Social media is the most likely to worsen Appearance,Social Life,and Activism pressures.For Achievement,Game Plan,and Friendship pressures,other contributors are more sal

37、ient(e.g.,teens themselves,parents and family members,adults from school).With respect to particular apps,teens say Appearance pressure is most often worsened by Instagram,TikTok,and Snapchat,and less often worsened by messaging apps and social gaming.Were always seeing someones face on social media

38、,youre always comparing yourself to someones face.Someones always going to create a new trend.Youre gonna want to follow that trend.You dont feel perfect in that trend.Now youre leading yourself into self-doubt and all these like insecurities and whatnot.So the pressure is there and very strong,espe

39、cially with beauty standards and the way that we change beauty standards and the fact that the beauty standard isnt realistic and they dont look like real people.LGBTQ+Black teen,10th grade3.The pressure that teens feel comes from a variety of sources,including adults in teens lives,social media,and

40、 even themselves.Teens say that pressure comes from a variety of sources,most notably from the adults in their lives,like parents or family members,and the adults at school,like teachers,guidance counselors,and coaches,especially for Game Plan pressure.Teens also mention the pressures they put on th

41、emselves,especially Achievement pressure,though social media also plays a role,especially for Appearance pressure.ParentsI dont think they most of the time mean to kind of add pressure.But a relationship that one has with their parents might increase or decrease one of these pressures.LGBTQ+Latina t

42、een girl,11th gradeI feel this pressure from sports coaches a lot because its like anytime youre not perfect,youre scared.Like,Is this person going to take my spot?Is the coach gonna bench me?Am I not good anymore?What hap-pened?Why do I suck?Black teen girl,11th gradeIn my experience,social media m

43、akes me feel a lot more pressure about Achievement and Game Plan and Friends.Its,like,all of them,because I compare myself to other peoples achievements.And I can see on Instagram,for example,other people posting with their friends,and it might make me realize,like,I dont really hang out with my fri

44、ends as much as some other people do.And in those ways social media increases all my pressures because its what I can use to compare myself to others.LGBTQ+White teen girl,12th grade 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHT

45、S RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 5The Impact of Social Media on Appearance Pressure8 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes increases Appearance pressure.4 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes decreases Appearance

46、pressure.This figure shows that approximately 8 in 10(79%)teens who feel Appearance pressure say social media at least sometimes increases it,and almost 5 in 10(48%)say it only increases pressure.Approximately 4 in 10(38%)say social media at least sometimes decreases appearance pressure,and about 1

47、in 10(13%)say it only decreases pressure.Thus,the figure reflects a mixed but negative-leaning portrayal of social medias influence on Appearance pressure.The Impact of Social Media on Achievement Pressure7 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes increases Achievement pressure.5 out of 10 te

48、ens social media at least sometimes decreases Achievement pressure.This figure shows that nearly 7 in 10(67%)teens who feel Achievement pressure say social media at least sometimes increases it,and 3 in 10 say it only increases pressure(30%).Less than half(45%)say social media at least sometimes dec

49、reases Achievement pressure,and less than 1 in 10(8%)say it only decreases pressure.Thus,the figure reflects a mixed but negative-leaning portrayal of social medias influ-ence on Achievement pressure.The Impact of Social Media on Game Plan Pressure7 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes in

50、creases Game Plan pressure.5 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes decreases Game Plan pressure.This figure shows that nearly 7 in 10(68%)teens who feel Game Plan pressure say social media at least sometimes increases it,and over 3 in 10 say it only increases pressure(32%).Approximately 4

51、in 10(44%)say social media at least sometimes decreases Game Plan pressure,and nearly 1 in 10(8%)say it only decreases pressure.Thus,the figure reflects a mixed but negative-leaning portrayal of social medias influence on Game Plan pressure.The Impact of Social Media on Social Life Pressure8 out of

52、10 teens social media at least sometimes increases Social Life pressure.5 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes decreases Social Life pressure.This figure shows that nearly 8 in 10(75%)teens who feel Social Life pressure say social media at least sometimes increases it,and 4 in 10 say it o

53、nly increases pressure(40%).Over 4 in 10(42%)say social media at least sometimes decreases Social Life pressure,and less than 1 in 10(7%)say it only decreases pressure.Thus,the figure reflects a mixed but negative-leaning portrayal of social medias influence on Social Life pressure.The Impact of Soc

54、ial Media on Friendship Pressure7 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes increases Friendship pressure.5 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes decreases Friendship pressure.This figure shows that nearly 7 in 10(69%)teens who feel Friendship pressure say social media at least somet

55、imes increases it,and 3 in 10 say it only increases pressure(30%).Approximately 5 in 10(50%)say social media at least some-times decreases Friendship pressure,and about 1 in 10(11%)say it only decreases pressure.Thus,the figure reflects a mixed but negative-leaning portrayal of social medias influ-e

56、nce on Friendship pressure.The Impact of Social Media on Activism Pressure7 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes increases Activism pressure.5 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes decreases Activism pressure.This figure shows that over 7 in 10(73%)teens who feel Activism pressu

57、re say social media at least sometimes increases it,and over 3 in 10 say it only increases pressure(33%).Over 5 in 10(51%)say social media at least sometimes decreases Activism pressure,and over 1 in 10(11%)say it only decreases pressure.Thus,the figure reflects a mixed but negative-leaning portraya

58、l of social medias influence on Activism pressure,and one that is more balanced than for other pressures.6 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSI

59、TY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.You get to escape when youre gaming.Why would you think about appearance,my achievements?Why would I need to focus on the future,my social skills,my social pressures,the friendships?Gaming is intend-ed to focus you on the game,and not whats going on around you.White teen boy,1

60、0th gradeI choose my player.She makes me so happy playing her because shes,like,amazing.I get lost into the game because Im building stuff,Im fighting monsters and stuff.And I forget about everything else thats going on.Black teen girl,11th grade5.Gaming can be a pressure release valve for teens.Alm

61、ost 80%of teens report gaming with others.Social gaming is different from other social media because it is more often a pressure release valve or at least a meaningful temporary distraction from pressures they feel:While teens most commonly answer that gaming has no effect on the pressures they feel

62、,about one in four say that gaming actu-ally reduces each pressure.Relative to the other social media platforms,gaming was the platform that teens most often said alleviates their pressures.The Impact of Gaming on PressuresSocial LifeAchievementGame PlanMakes it worseNo effectA mix of bothMakes it b

63、etterAppearanceFriendshipActivismNote:This graphic illustrates the multifaceted impact of gaming on various pressures.More teens say that gaming only alleviates their pressures than only exacerbates them,though many teens who play social games say this has no effect on the pressure that they feel(gr

64、ay),and some say the influence is mixed(as represented by overlapping green and red boxes).2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL

65、 MEDIA 7Frequency of Self-Care Activities by U.S.TeensIn the last week,teens Never13 Days4+DaysGot 7 or more hours of sleep per night9%36%55%Got at least 1 hour of exercise/physical activity13%47%40%Did something just for fun or relaxation5%55%40%Spent time outside or in nature16%54%30%Helped friend

66、s or classmates9%67%24%Had a deep/meaningful conversation with a friend19%59%22%Did something creative(not for school)23%61%16%WHAT HELPS?By studying the teens who report few to no negative pressures,we can identify practices that may help with pressure and burnout,including:Getting sleep Spending t

67、ime outdoors or in nature Having more open schedules(free time,less restrictive scheduling,and using the internet less frequently)WHAT CAN ADULTS DO TO HELP?Teens in our advisory sessions shared other ways that adults can help:Adults can help teens make decisions that prevent overload.Adults can rec

68、ognize teens efforts vs.just the outcome.Adults can share in teens joys.Adults can empathize,rather than minimize,when teens share about their stress/pressures.Adults can be curious about teens social media experiencesand not assume its all bad.6.Self-care practices may mitigate teen burnout,and the

69、y are weekly(but not daily)aspects of most teens lives.For adolescents,self-care activities,like getting sufficient sleep,physical activity,and meaningful social connection,are often considered cornerstones of well-being.We found that American teens who engage in more self-care practices report fewe

70、r pressures and lower burnout.A majority of teens engage in key self-care practices weekly,but not daily.Just over half(51%)of teens reported engaging in all seven self-care practices we examined at least once during the past week.However,of these practices,most teens do not spend daily time in natu

71、re,do fun or relaxing things,have deep or meaning-ful conversations with friends,engage in creative activities outside of schoolwork,help others,or get at least an hour of exercise.Only one in 50 teens(2%)engaged in all of the self-care practices on four or more days,and one in seven teens(14%)did n

72、ot engage in any self-care practice on four or more days in the past week.Many teens arent getting enough sleep or exercise.Nearly half of teens(45%)got less than seven hours of sleep on multiple nights during the past weekless than the 8 to 10 hours per night recommended for teenswhile 55%of teens

73、got seven or more hours of sleep on at least four of the last seven nights.With respect to exercise,60%fell short of the daily one-hour recom-mendation,and about one in eight did not meet this guideline on any days over the past week.Teens face barriers to self-care.Teens who co-inter-preted the sur

74、vey findings alongside us described barriers to self-care,including feeling unable to put away their devices,like phones or gaming consoles,but alsonotablyconstraints on their time,as well as beliefs that self-care just isnt productive.8 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND

75、 THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.This is a nationally representative survey of 1,545 teens age 13 to 17 in the United States.The survey was conducted by SSRS using their SSRS Opin

76、ion Panel,and also includes survey participants from nonprobability opt-in web panels to oversample for Black teens and LGBTQ+teens.Survey data was collected from October to November 2023,and co-interpretation focus groups took place from February to April 2024.The survey was fielded online,in Engli

77、sh or Spanish.Data and analyses are weighted.We examined whether results depended upon gender,age,race/ethnicity,loca-tion,family/household income,parent education,and LGBTQ+identity.The margin of error in this survey is 3.0 percentage points.The margin of error is calculated using a 95%con-fidence

78、interval.For surveys that use a 95%confidence interval,which is an industry standard,one would expect that the results would contain the population value 95%of the time.The calculated margin of error for this study also accounts for the most conservative sample propor-tion estimate:50%.This means th

79、at the margin of error calculation assumes 50%of the sample will answer a question a certain way.Nineteen teens age 13 to 17 participated in focus group sessions to co-interpret and contextualize findings from this survey.These teens were not part of the initial survey sample.The quotations included

80、 throughout this report are from these focus groups.For additional details,please see the Methodology section of this report.Summary of Methods 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN A

81、MERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 9If we wanted to reverse trends in adolescent mental healthto see youth thriving,rather than strugglingwhere would we start?Many people point first to social media.In the current study,we examine American teens experiences of different pres

82、sures that may contribute to grind culture and burnout.We begin with the aim of understanding teens experiences in general,and then home in on the ways in which social media and gaming are relevant.This flips a typical approach in research about youth and social media:Instead of asking about positiv

83、e and negative experi-ences as they arise for teens on social media,we first examine the pressures that teens feel,and then ask about how those pressures intersect with social media and other factors.Our overarching goal is to make visible teens perspectives and situate the diverse roles of technolo

84、gy in their well-being.Ultimately we hope to contribute new insights,nuance where it is warranted,and support for a solutions-oriented frame to current public discourse.In the current U.S.context,teens heading to school are as likely to pocket their smartphones as they are to reach for their house k

85、eys,backpacks,or water bottles.It is easier for teens to edit Instagram Reels and set up Discord servers than it is to set up bank accounts.Most(88%to 95%)have personal smartphones,and social media and gaming are staples(Common Sense,2022;Pew Research,2023).These technologies have scaled quickly,ahe

86、ad of a full under-standing of their impacts for youth well-being.National data on the mental health of Generation Z has been ringing alarm bells:There have been notable increases in persistent sadness and hopelessness,loneliness,and suicidal thoughts and behaviors over the the last decade(CDC,2022;

87、CDC YRBS,2024;Office of the Surgeon General,2023).Nearly 3 in 10 young people age 14 to 22 report moderate to severe depres-sive symptoms,and this number is even higher among LGBTQ+youth,nearly half of whom(49%)report such symp-toms(Common Sense&Hopelab,2024).For youth of color,national survey data

88、also highlights preva-lent and elevated mental health struggles:More than one in two Black,Latino,Native American,and multiracial youth and young adults have experienced moderate to severe depres-sive symptoms,as well as 48%of Asian American and Pacific Islander(AAPI)youth and young adults(The AAKOM

89、A Project,2022).Social media apps loom large in the conversation about youth mental health,even as scholars continue to debate what con-clusions are warranted from available data(e.g.,Haidt,2024;Odgers,2024).Researchers generally agree that the data also shows that youth are having different experie

90、nces,and that the impacts are not solely or universally negative(Moreno et al.,2022;Coyne et al.,2022).At the same time,social media and smartphones are widely considered as key contributors to adolescent mental health trends(APA,2024;Murthy,2024).Importantly,research also suggests that both the ben

91、efits and harms of social media may be magnified for youth of color and for LGBTQ+youth(Common Sense Media,2024).Social media aside,we know that adolescence is a develop-mental period of heightened stress reactivity.In a neurological and physiological sense,adolescents are particularly reactive to s

92、tress(Romeo et al.,2017).This is an important reason to pay attention to teens experiences:When stress is intense or prolonged,or adolescents do not have sufficient coping resources and support,it can lead to experiences of anxiety and depression as well as other negative health outcomes(AACAP,2019)

93、.We can think about pressure as the external demands on a teen,and stress as their response to that pressure.Stress and pressure can go hand in hand in ways that manifest differently for different young people.For example,in her book Under Pressure,Dr.Lisa Damour describes the ways in which aca-demi

94、c,social life,and appearance pressures contribute to elevated stress and anxiety among girls.When young people are under pressure,their personalities and sensitivities shape how they respond(e.g.,see Charbonneau,Mezulis,&Hyde,2009;McLaughlin et al.,2010).While one young person may be more sensitive

95、or emo-tionally reactive to pressure than another,the reality is that young people also have vastly different pressures put upon them.Identities,circumstances,and broader systemic forces are all relevant.The broader context that surrounds themfriends,family,school,and social mediacan increase or dec

96、rease pressure,too.Introduction10 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.Parsing American teens reports of the different pr

97、essures they face helps us take stock of their current experiences.It also invites us to interrogate how social media relates to the different pressures that teens feel.The pressures are not inherently tied to technology,but they intersect with teens digital experiences in a variety of ways.We inves

98、tigate how teens see these pressures as influenced by different people in their lives(adults,friends,peers)and by digital environments,including social media and gaming.We also explore connections to teens self-care practices and to their reports of burnout.While burnout is most often researched in

99、the context of adult populations and in relation to professional work(Bakker&Sanz-Vergel,2020),it is a well-established concept linked to stress,pressure,and mental health.Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion,cynicism,and low feelings of accomplishment or efficacy(Maslach&Leiter,2016;Npo

100、les,2022),and is more likely in contexts where demands and pressures overwhelm resources and supports to deal with them.Feeling burned out is a sign-post that pressure is overwhelming.In broader research on adolescent mental health,there is considerable attention to experiences like depressive symp-

101、toms,feelings of hopelessness,loneliness,and anxiety;burnout is less often examined(Walburg,2014).But teens descriptions of the aforementioned pressures piqued our interest in burnout,as they repeatedly described pressure to do the most and spread myself thin and drew connections to a grind culture

102、that seems to celebrate and even fetishize constant activity at all costs.We therefore explore teens overall reports of burnout and associations between pres-sures and burnout.This report purposefully centers teens perspectives.We examine pressures that teens in our prior research told us they face,

103、as well as how these pressures relate to burnout and to a collection of self-care practices.We grapple with the roles that social technologies play in these pressures,but also the roles played by people in their lives(parents and family members,teachers,friends,peers).The findings are a data-driven

104、call for adults to approach the roles that social media and gaming play in young peoples lives with curiosity.That is,to consider teens social media experi-ences in the context of pressures and stresses that are relevant for different youth,and to ask questions about the sources of those pressures a

105、nd the ways tech isand isntcontributing to them.One thing we know is that perception matters when it comes to pressure and mental health.In this report,we focus on the perspectives of American teens.We examine a collection of pressures,as well as the ways in which teens see social media and gaming a

106、s relevant to the pressure they feel.These pres-sures include:Game Plan:pressure to have your future path all figured out Overwhelming pressure from school and your future career;needing to have everything figured out.Achievement:pressure to achieve the most;to be impressive Pressure to be the best

107、in all aspects of life.Appearance:pressure to look your best;to present your-self in a certain way Look my best at all times(outfits,makeup,body).Social Life:pressure to have an active social life(in person)Be social/partying/hanging out with friends all the time.Friendship:pressure to be available

108、and/or show support for friends Pressure to keep communicating.Activism:pressure to be informed;to do good for your community or the world Consistently stay informed and outspoken.These pressures reflect established themes across existing literature on adolescence,including those related to the real

109、 risks for teen well-being associated with extreme pressure to excel(Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,2018).Yet the set of pressures included here are featured specifically because they emerged in prior qualitative research with teens about digital well-being(Weinstein,Davis,&James,2024;Weinstein,Tenc

110、h,&James,2022;Weinstein&James,2022).That said,it is essential to acknowledge that there are heavy burdens on some teens that are beyond the focus of this study.This is not to minimize the weight of pressures related to finances and family circumstances,for example,nor to over-look the tolls of pover

111、ty,trauma,or discrimination as critical risk factors related to mental health(Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,2018).2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOU

112、T,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 11The Current StudyWe also asked teens about the frequency of their self-care practices in the past week.We selected practices that previ-ous research with adults suggests are restorative for stress and burnout:physical health practices like getting enough sleep(Chin,G

113、uo,Hung,Yang,&Shiao,2015)and exercise(Naczenski et al.,2017)especially outdoors(Kondo,Jacoby,&South,2018;Thompson Coon et al.,2011);social practices like having meaningful conversations(Kim,Jee,Lee,An,&Lee,2018;Delroisse,Rim,&Stinglhamber,2023)and helping others(Wekenborg et al.,2022);and psychologi

114、cal flow practices like creative and fun/relaxing activities(e.g.,see Tjasink,Keiller,Stephens,&Carr,2023;Li,Lai,Friedrich,Liu,&Popkin,2023).Its important to note,though,that pressures and burnout risks go beyond what a teen does individually,which is why we also explore teens perceptions of the peo

115、ple and contexts around them that contribute to increasing or decreasing negative pressure.This report helps to unpack some of the pressures that teens feel and strives to help us be more attentive to the particular roles of social technologies in making those pressures better or worse(or having no

116、impact at all).Throughout the report,we integrate perspectives of teens who co-interpreted the survey data.Our hope is to illuminate some of the texture around teens felt pressures,and to provide insights that support timely,grounded conversations about social media and youth mental health.This repo

117、rt describes findings from a nationally representa-tive survey,conducted online from October to November of 2023,with 1,545 adolescents(age 13 to 17)in the United States.The purpose of the study was to explore various pres-sures,teens views on what contributes to those pressures(including different

118、people in their lives and on social media),self-care practices,and feelings of burnout.The survey data was co-interpreted with teens through 12 in-depth youth advisory group sessions.The study oversampled for and designed analytic approaches to ensure that the experiences of Black teens and LGBTQ+te

119、ens were represented.The focus of this study was grounded in young peoples voices and their descriptions of grind culture and a variety of pres-sures related to it.We asked teens whether they use social media and which platforms they use the most(e.g.,YouTube,TikTok,Instagram,Snapchat,messaging apps

120、,X/Twitter,gaming,BeReal,Reddit,and more).12 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.Unpacking Grind Culture:Pressures and B

121、urnoutAmerican youth experience a variety of pressures in their everyday lives,and these pressures can influence their mental health and even their day-to-day functioning.But their experiences of pressure differ in meaningful ways.While a majority(81%)of American teens struggle with feeling bad rela

122、ted to at least one of six pressure points we examined,nearly one in five(19%)feel none of these pres-sures.Forty-one percent of teens report feeling the pressure very much(i.e.,the highest level of pressure provided in the response options)in one or more areas.Below are the six pressures we asked a

123、bout2 and the percent-age of teens who say the pressure affects them personally somewhat or very much:Game Plan:56%of American teens feel pressure to have their future life figured out(e.g.,college,career,relationships).Achievement:53%of teens feel pressure to be excep-tional and impressive through

124、their achievements(e.g.,honors classes,good grades,jobs).Appearance:51%of teens feel pressure to look their best or present themselves in a certain way(e.g.,follow trends,have a certain body type).Social Life:44%feel pressure related to having an active and visible social life(e.g.,hanging out with

125、friends,going to social events/parties).Friendship:41%feel pressure to stay available and be supportive to friends(e.g.,respond to texts/social media from friends right away,be there when they need them).Activism:32%feel pressure to do good for their com-munity or the world,or to be informed about d

126、ifferent issues(e.g.,helping community members,supporting or giving money to causes,keeping up with the news).2 For the full question wording for this and all data in this report,please see the survey questionnaire,available at https:/monsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/teen-grind-

127、pressures-study-2023-questionnaire.pdf.Number of Pressures Experienced Among U.S.Teens19%Report no pressures at a level of“somewhat”or “very.”29%Report 1 or 2 pressures at a“somewhat”or“very”level.39%Report 35 pressures at a“somewhat”or“very”level.13%Feel all 6 pressures at a“somewhat”or“very”level.

128、Note:The figure highlights that while most teens experience some degree of pressure,a significant portion(41%)feel intense pressure in at least one area.2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CUL

129、TURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 13Intensity of Pressures Experienced by U.S.Teens NOT AT ALLA LITTLESOMEWHATVERY%of teens who feel pressureaffects them at least“somewhat”56%51%44%41%32%53%Game PlanAchievementAppearanceSocial LifeFriendshipActivismNote:This figure

130、 shows that Game Plan,Achievement,and Appearance pressures affect more than half of teens.Social Life and Friendship pressures notably impact teens,but to a lesser extent.Activism pressure is the least frequently reported,but it still affects nearly one-third of teens.Pressure that may feel motivati

131、ng can quickly become nega-tively hued.And the reverse is true as well.Research on stress and child development recognizes positive stress as a normal and essential part of healthy development(Center on the Developing Child,n.d.).A crucial question we consid-ered in collecting,analyzing,and co-inter

132、preting the data was whether and when teens feel constructive versus over-whelming pressure.Pressure is a complex dynamic.It can be overwhelming,but pressure isnt inherently problematic or concerning.This was a careful line we had to walk throughout the survey develop-ment and co-interpretation sess

133、ions.For example,we used language in our survey to focus on pressures that make teens feel bad to connote pressures with negative valence.Still,time and again we were reminded that teens have a nuanced relationship with pressure.At times,teens who co-interpreted the survey data acknowledged that it

134、can be motivating.It can get bad at some point,but I also think that pressure can be the initiative for you to do something else.For example,when I have pressure,like when one of my friends is getting a 96 percent,and Im getting a 94,I can be like,I can do 97!I can be better than you.And I just star

135、t doing that and just start going by the pressure.Latina teen girl,10th grade14 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.Thre

136、e pressures were each reported by over half of surveyed teens:Game Plan,Achievement,and Appearance.Three other pressuresSocial Life,Friendship,and Activism pres-sureseach affected less than half of surveyed teens,with Activism impacting about one-third.Game Plan pressure(pressure to have a clear fut

137、ure path for ones life)was the most common pressure reported,by 56%of American teens.This was followed by Achievement pressure(the pressure to excel in current pursuits or to be the most impressive),reported by 53%.Appearance pressure(looking ones best or having a certain body type)was also relevant

138、 for about half of the teens surveyed(51%).About three-quarters of teens(74%)felt pressure in at least one of these three areas,55%in at least two,and 30%said they feel all three:Achievement,Game Plan,and Appearance pressure.Smaller proportions of teens reported feeling pressures related to having a

139、n active Social Life(44%),Friendships(being available and supporting friends;41%),and Activism(being informed about different issues;32%).In general,teens who felt more of one pressure also tended to feel more of other pressures.What follows is an overview of each pressure.Game Plan More than half o

140、f teens surveyed(56%)report that feeling pressure to have a future path all figured out is very or somewhat pronounced for them(21%and 34%,respec-tively).For another one in four teens(28%),this Game Plan pressure is felt only a little,and 17%say they do not feel this pressure at all.Teens who examin

141、ed the survey findings alongside us noted that:From a small,small age,you are always asked,Oh,what do you want to do when youre older?Its almost pressurized to succeed and try and find your place and what you want to do in the world.White teen boy,10th gradeIts definitely starting to get to me now t

142、hat I have like two or three months of my junior year left.Everyone wants to know,Hey,what are you going to major in?Where do you see yourself in a few years or after col-lege?What college do you want to go to?Latina teen girl,11th gradeDifferent Types of PressuresHow Much Does Each Pressure Persona

143、lly Affect American Teens?PressureNot at allA littleSomewhatVeryTotal who feel the pressure negatively affects them at least somewhatGame Plan17%28%34%21%56%Achievement16%32%33%20%53%Appearance20%29%32%19%51%Social Life27%30%32%12%44%Friendship26%33%31%10%41%Activism36%32%26%7%32%Note:Numbers may no

144、t sum exactly due to rounding.2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 15In some cases,the cost is rest or downtime:Every tim

145、e I do waste time,I feel so guilty about it.When I waste time,then I feel so bad about it that Ill study for the whole week straight,not play any games,not watch any YouTube videos,not watch any Netflix videos for the whole week.Just study,study,study.Grind,grind,grind.Its an exhausting cycle.Black

146、teen girl,11th gradeAnd in some cases,the cost is relationships:I feel like its very difficult to get out of this feedback loop,almost,and just constantly comparing yourself with others.And sometimes its really annoying,and I feel like it does disrupt the relationship that I have with some people.So

147、 I dont know.I guess achieve-ment would be one of the prices.Latino teen boy,12th grade Achievement pressure and Game Plan pressure are related.Indeed,72%of those who reported feeling Game Plan pres-sure also reported Achievement pressure.Achievement pressure is by no means universal.As the survey d

148、ata signals,16%said they feel no Achievement pres-sure(not at all)and another 32%feel only a little.AppearanceMore than half of teens surveyed(51%)report that pressure to look their best or present themselves in a certain way is very or somewhat pronounced for them(19%and 32%,respec-tively).For anot

149、her 29%this Appearance pressure is felt only a little,while 20%say they do not feel this pressure at all.Teens report that social media is the top contributor to increasing Appearance pressure(Please see figure on page 20).And though Appearance pressure was more frequently and strongly reported on t

150、he survey by girls,the pressure was reported by girls(57%),boys(42%),and nonbinary youth(69%).During co-interpretation,teens reiterated that Appearance pressure is not just a girl thing and described how it can come up for boys,for example,related to working out or having a particular body type.Achi

151、evement More than half of teens surveyed(53%)report that feeling pressure around Achievement is very or somewhat pro-nounced for them(20%and 33%,respectively).For another 32%this pressure is felt only a little,while 16%say they do not feel this pressure at all.For some teens,this pressure is a const

152、ant:Youre always pushed to achieve your highest goal,highest capability,and work towards what you want to achieve and what people think your highest poten-tial is.White teen boy,10th gradeThe achievement pressure is something I think about constantly as I am a first-generation immigrant The achievem

153、ent thing is something I hold in my head a lot because I do want to impress my parents,make them proud.And at the same time it can get overwhelming,it can like mess with my brain sometimes.LGBTQ+Black teen,10th gradeAs we examined the survey findings alongside teens,they raised several further consi

154、derations about Achievement pressure.In addition to connections to social media and comparison(which are described on page 24),they noted:Achievement can come at high costs for teens.In some cases,the cost is a balanced life and emotional well-being:I know I always feel pressure to not waste time,wh

155、ere it makes me not do the things that I like doing for myself,and it makes me spend time with my friends less,and all the sorts of things that you know make a balanced life.Even during exam seasons,Ill stop going to my sport because I have to spend so much time on school,and I dont think thats very

156、 good for my overall emotional mental health.LGBTQ+White teen girl,12th grade16 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.Frie

157、ndship pressure is connected to teens individual rela-tionships,and to the ways they experience pressure related to investing in those friendships.About two in five(41%)report this pressure as very or somewhat pronounced for them(10%and 31%,respectively).For another 33%this pressure is felt only a l

158、ittle,while 26%say they do not feel this pressure at all.For some teens,aspects of friendship pressure include responding to text messages,commenting on friends social media posts,and generally being available to friends.However,the pressure also comes up related to conflicts with friends and group

159、dynamics(e.g.,choosing sides in social conflicts).ActivismAbout one in three teens(32%)report feeling Activism pres-sure or the pressure to do good for their community or the world or to be informed about different issues,with 7%reporting the pressure as very and 26%as somewhat pronounced for them.3

160、 For another one in three teens(32%),this pressure is felt only a little,while the remaining third(36%)say they do not feel this pressure at all.Though this pressure is not felt by most American teens in our study,we heard from teens who co-interpreted the survey findings alongside us that it can be

161、 quite overwhelming.I take activism very seriously,and I try to keep myself up with things,trying to consume all the knowledge and stuff like that.Sometimes it does become over-whelming,especially since some of the issues I think and talk about are things that are very gruesome and things that you k

162、now teens shouldnt necessarily be,like,fixating and focusing on.So I feel like sometimes that grinds me a little bit because I feel like I need to know everything and so I guess that would be one of my grinds.LGBTQ+Black teen,10th gradeTeens in co-interpretation groups also recalled different moment

163、s when they started to notice pressure to look a certain way:I did not think about appearance until I became a teen.Seeing other teens getting ready for quinceaeras,I thought Am I supposed to like poofy dresses?!Latina teen girl,10th grade Social Life and Friendship pressuresForty-four percent of te

164、ens report feeling pressure to have an active social life(in person)after school and on weekends(Social Life pressure),and 41%reported pressure specifically related to being available or showing support for friends(Friendship pressure).I sometimes feel guilty,because I have to put myself over other

165、things first.So I think in the back of my mind I feel that pressure,like maybe Im not being good enough as a friend.LGBTQ+biracial teen girl,10th gradeSocial Life pressure includes having friends to hang out with or study with,or being invited to and attending social events,parties,and even group ch

166、ats or virtual spaces where peers congregate.More than two in five(44%)report this pressure as very or somewhat pronounced for them(12%and 32%,respectively).For another 30%this pressure is felt only a little,while 27%say they do not feel this pressure at all.For those who experience a feeling of pre

167、ssure to maintain an active social life,financial pressures can be relevant and intertwined:Theres definitely pressure to like,always go out and like,when youre going out,you like spend money to eat or to do an activity.LGBTQ+Asian teen girl,12th grade3 Numbers may not sum exactly due to rounding.20

168、24 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 17A familys income or a parents education level is also related to teens experiences w

169、ith the different pressures examined in this report.Teens with higher family income or with parents who have higher educational attainment report more pressure specifically related to having a Game Plan,Achievement,and Appearance.Family income or parent education were unre-lated to Friendship and Ac

170、tivism pressures.Higher parental education was also associated with more Social Life pressure.Teens who co-interpreted the survey data with us shared reactions to this finding based on personal experience and observations of their peers,giving voice to what Wallace(2024)has referred to as the encore

171、 effectthat is,a kind of pressure to replicate parents success:My parents went to college,both of them,and they always tell me how they went to college,so college is supposed to be two times easier for me since they already went to college.And that just gives me a little bit more pressure.Latina tee

172、n girl,10th gradeI have a lot of people in my school that their parents are doctors,lawyers,and all this other big-time stuff,and they just feel so pressured to fit into the fam-ily aesthetic that they start crumbling.Its because theyre afraid of disappointment from their family.Black teen girl,11th

173、 gradeFor the six pressures examined in this survey,there were no consistent patterns by race/ethnicity.I just feel like Im not doing enough toward my commu-nity to help them be better and be more informed and,like,just create a better environment for the upcoming generation.I feel like I dont know

174、where to start,and its like youre not doing anything to help your commu-nity,and I feel like a failure because of that.Black teen girl,11th grade Which teens are reporting more pressure?A few notable patterns emerged across different types of pressures.Girls and nonbinary teens report greater feelin

175、gs of pressure in every domain,compared to teen boys.Specifically,compared to boys,teen girls are:87%more likely to experience Appearance pressure 53%more likely to experience Friendship pressure 42%more likely to experience Social Life pressure 39%more likely to experience Game Plan pressure 32%mor

176、e likely to experience Achievement pressure 25%more likely to experience Activism pressureSimilarly,LGBTQ+teens report greater feelings of pressure in every domain,compared to cisgender and non-LGBTQ+teens.(See Spotlight:LGBTQ+Teens,beginning on page 40,for more detail.)18 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN

177、 AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.I think my school is a generally competitive school.So theres a lot of toxicity related to that.Im a senior ri

178、ght now,a lot of people like sort of brag about their college acceptances So that sort of adds onto the Game Plan pressure and sort of ties to Achievement pressure.LGBTQ+Asian teen girl,12th gradeEven though they dont mean to,I feel like my parents really add to the pressure.LBGTQ+Latina teen girl,1

179、1th gradeOur classmates can make certain comments that may passively stick with you in terms of maybe your appearance or a certain insecurity you may have.LGBTQ+Asian teen girl,12th gradeOn social media,you see a lot of people my age being so successful in life,and I cant help but think,like,Wow!The

180、yre my age,and theyre already starting their career,and theyre already making tons of money every day.And its like you start to compare yourself so you start to feel,like,kind of left behind.LGBTQ+Latina teen girl,11th gradeI feel this pressure from sports coaches a lot its like anytime youre not pe

181、rfect,youre scared.Like,Is this person going to take my spot?Is my coach gonna bench me?Am I not good anymore?What happened?Why do I suck?And it just circles your mind.Black teen girl,11th gradeWith other peers or classmates were all learning the same thing,but for some reason this persons,like,an a

182、ll-star,like,they do everything easily.Theyre breezing through every class.They never had to study.And its like,now you feel pressure because youre like,Wait,am I like doing something wrong?Like,How come I cant understand,am I not smart enough?And so it just really pressures you to work harder,do th

183、is more,and now youre studying at 12 a.m.,not getting enough sleep.You still get the grades you get because,I mean,youre not getting sleep.This is like a downward spiral and its just,I dont know,this is really hard.Black teen girl,11th grade 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVA

184、RD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 19Feelings of pressure come from a variety of sources,including adults in teens lives,social media,and even themselves.We asked teens what con

185、tributes to the pressure they feel.We were specifically interested in the contexts and sources of these pressures:Do they see the pressure as coming from themselves,from the people and content they follow on social media,from their closest friends,from their parents/family members,from the teachers

186、or other adults at school,or from people in their community(e.g.,neighborhood,church)?We focused the analyses for pressure contributors on those teens who actually reported feeling the pressure(excluding those who said they do not feel the pressure at all).Pressure on teens comes from a variety of s

187、ourcesTeens feedback points to a constellation of sources,rather than one single driver of pressure.For example,teens most often say that teachers,guidance counselors,coaches,and other adults at school(48%)and they themselves(44%)increase their Game Plan pressure,but 39%also say pressures come from

188、other family members.These same sources were also seen as the top contributors to Achievement pressure,but showing a different pattern of influence.That is,teens say that they themselves(48%)and adults at school(38%)put the most pressure on themselves.They also feel pressure from parents/family memb

189、ers(34%).The top sources of Appearance pressure look a little different.Here,teens most often point to three top contributors:social media(48%),other peers or classmates(46%),and themselves(46%).(We discuss social media in more depth in the next section.See page 21).In addition,teens tell us that so

190、me sources have dual influ-ences,both increasing and decreasing pressures.This is important to note because it suggests that most teens are reporting increased pressures from these sources at least sometimes.For example,40%of teens say that they them-selves sometimes increase and sometimes decrease

191、their feelings of Game Plan pressure.Teens also report mixed influences on Game Plan pressure from other peers or class-mates(40%)and their closest friends(38%).For Achievement pressures,teens similarly report that people and contexts have a complex role in terms of some-times increasing or decreasi

192、ng it.For example,40%see a dual role from other peers or classmates,with similar propor-tions seeing this complexity from themselves(37%),people and content on social media(37%),parents or family members(37%),and school adults(38%).Finally,for Appearance pressures,teens say that they them-selves(38%

193、),their closest friends(38%),other peers or classmates(37%),people in their community(36%),and parents or family members(35%)both decrease and increase their pressure to look their best.(For a more detailed visual-ization of what contributes to teens pressure,please see Figure 6 in the Appendix.)Who

194、 helps reduce feelings of pressure?Importantly,the data also provides some insight into where pressure relief can come from for teens.Their closest friends and parents/family members are most relevant as sources of decreasing felt pressure.For teens who are feeling Game Plan pressure,their closest f

195、riends decrease the pressure for 26%of teens,and parents/family members for 18%.For Achievement pressure,30%say their close friends decrease their feelings of pressure,and 20%say their parents/family members do.For Appearance pressure,31%say parents/family members reduce this pressure,and 29%say clo

196、sest friends do.What Contributes to Pressure?20 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.What Increases the Pressures That Te

197、ens Face?Game Plan Top Sources:School Adults(48%)Myself(44%)Parents/family(39%)Achievement Top Sources:Myself(48%)School adults(38%)Parents/family(34%)Appearance Top Sources:Social Media(48%)Myself(46%)Peers/Classmates(46%)Social Life Top Sources:Social Media(40%)Myself(39%)Peers/Classmates(38%)Frie

198、ndship Top Sources:Myself(35%)Peers/Classmates(32%)Social Media(30%)Activism Top Sources:Social Media(33%)School Adults(31%)Myself(27%)School AdultsMyselfParents/FamilySocial MediaClassmatesCommunityClosest FriendsNote:This figure shows that the pressures teens face are influenced by multiple source

199、s.Most pressures have multiple top contributors that are effectively tied for the top spot.That is,differences between the top few contributors to the pressure are likely to be statistically similar to one another if they are within 3%to 4%of each other.The figure can be explored by tracing an influ

200、ence(e.g.,myself,social media)to the corresponding pressures(e.g.,Game Plan,Achievement),or by examining the ranking of each influence on a given pressure.The thicker the line,the greater the influence,and influences are traced in order of prevalence(though again,note that not all ordering differenc

201、es are statistically significant).The information is also presented numerically(see Table 1 in the Appendix).2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND

202、THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 21We asked teens about the social media platforms they use and how frequently they use them,from do not currently use to almost constantly.In this sample,teens most widely used:With respect to frequency of use,about one in five teens reported using the following apps almost

203、constantly:A Closer Look at Social MediaFrequency of Social Media Platform UseYouTube Messaging AppsTikTokGaming with othersInstagramSnapchatFacebookTwitter/XDiscordRedditTwitchBeRealDaily UseAlmost constantlyMultiple times per dayAbout once per dayWeekly UseAbout 35 times per weekOnce or twice a we

204、ekLess than once a weekDo NOT currently useNote:This figure shows the frequency of social media platform use for American teens(as of October/November 2023),ranging from almost constantly(darkest green,at top)to do not currently use(gray,at bottom).The intensity of color reflects the usage frequency

205、,highlighting which platforms are most and least used by teens.YouTube(97%)Messaging apps(83%)TikTok(82%)Gaming with others(80%)Instagram(78%)Snapchat(74%)TikTok(22%)Messaging apps(20%)YouTube(20%)Snapchat(17%)22 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

206、 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.The Impact of Social Media on Appearance Pressure8 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes increases Appearance pressure.4 out of 10 teens social media at least so

207、metimes decreases Appearance pressure.This figure shows that approximately 8 in 10(79%)teens say social media at least sometimes increases Appearance pres-sure,and almost 5 in 10(48%)say it only increases this pressure.Approximately 4 in 10(38%)say social media at least sometimes decreases Appearanc

208、e pressure,and about 1 in 10(13%)say it only decreases this pressure.Thus,the figure reflects a mixed but negative-leaning portrayal of social medias influence on Appearance pressure.When we examined these survey findings with teens,we askedbefore showing them the findingswhich of the six pressures

209、they expected would be most influenced by social media.One teens poignant,immediate reply was:Its definitely Appearance.And if its not Appearance,this is rigged!LGBTQ+Black teen,10th grade.With respect to particular apps,teens most often named TikTok,Instagram,and Snapchat as specific contributors t

210、o increasing Appearance pressure(i.e.,makes me feel worse).Social media has a dual influence:It acts as an amplifier of pressures,but can reduce them,too.A majority of teens say that people and content on social media at least sometimes worsen every pressure they feel.Over three-quarters of teens wh

211、o feel Appearance pressure point to social media as at least sometimes worsening it(79%),and a similar proportion for Social Life(75%)and Activism pressures(73%).Two-thirds say the same about Game Plan(68%),Achievement(67%),and Friendship pres-sures(69%).Yet at the same time,meaningful proportions o

212、f teens say that social media at least sometimes decreases each pressure(38%to 51%,depending on the pressure in question).Thus,teens reports reveal a complex interplay between social media and pressureone that is negative-leaning,but not without instances of positive influence.Social media influence

213、s on Appearance pressureMore than three-quarters of teens who report Appearance pressure say that social media at least sometimes increases(worsens)this pressure(79%,of which 48%say social media only increases Appearance pressure,and 31%say the influ-ence is mixed).A smaller number say that social m

214、edia at least sometimes decreases the pressure(38%,including the 31%who say the influence is mixed and the 7%who say social media only decreases Appearance pressure).Just 13%say social media has no influence on their experiences of Appearance pressure.2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOW

215、S OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 23The Impact of Social Media Platforms on Appearance PressureYouTubeMessaging AppsTikTokGaming w/OthersInstagramSnapchatFacebookMake

216、s it worseNo effectA mix of bothMakes it betterNote:The figure above demonstrates how different apps(e.g.,Instagram,TikTok)affect teens Appearance pressure,among teens who use each app.Apps are ordered by their negative impact(e.g.,Instagram has the most negative influence on Appearance pressure;Gam

217、ing with others has the least).Within each app,the boxes in green(decreases pressure),red(increases pressure),and overlapping colors(a mix of both)show the nuances in teens portrayals,while the gray figures identify teens who said the app has no effect on their feelings of Appearance pressure.Table

218、2 in the Appendix presents this information numerically.*Not shown:Twitter,Reddit,Discord,BeReal,and Twitch were included on the survey but are not reported in this table,which summarizes data only for the most commonly used apps.24 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE

219、ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.Social media influences on Achievement and Game Plan pressures Two-thirds of teens who report Achievement pressure say that social media at least somet

220、imes worsens this pressure(67%,of which 30%said social media only increases Achievement pressure,whereas 37%said the influence is mixed).A smaller number(45%)say that social media at least sometimes decreases Achievement pressure,including the 37%who say the influence is mixed and the 8%who say soci

221、al media only decreases Achievement pressure.One-quarter(25%)say social media has no effect on their feelings of Achievement pressure.The Impact of Social Media on Achievement Pressure7 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes increases Achievement pressure.5 out of 10 teens social media at l

222、east sometimes decreases Achievement pressure.This figure shows that nearly 7 in 10(67%)teens who feel Achievement pressure say social media at least sometimes increases it,and 3 in 10 say it only increases this pressure(30%).Less than half(45%)say social media at least some-times decreases Achievem

223、ent pressure,and less than 1 in 10(8%)say it only decreases this pressure.Thus,the figure reflects a mixed but negative-leaning portrayal of social medias influence on Achievement pressure.We observed similar findings related to Game Plan pressure:Of those who experience this pressure,32%say social

224、media only increases it,and 36%say the influence is mixed.On the flip side,44%say it at least sometimes decreases the pres-sure(including the 36%who say the influence is mixed and the 8%who say it only decreases Game Plan pressure).One-quarter(25%)say social media has no effect on their feelings of

225、Game Plan pressure.In the co-interpretation focus groups,teens referenced Appearance-amplifying elements of Instagram,including filtered and curated content from peers,influencers,and celebrities.I put Instagram as it increases the pressure,because its so easy,like the others have mentioned,just to

226、scroll and see constant filters and beautiful people.And you dont really take into account,you know,if they edit their photo.They have professional makeup artists or hairstylists,whatever the case may be.LGBTQ+Asian teen girl,12th gradeTeens also raised considerations about the ways TikTok influence

227、rs contribute to Appearance pressure,for example,as related to beauty products and routines.This occurs par-ticularly often for younger girls,like one teens 11-year-old cousin who feels like shes not pretty if she doesnt use this expensive moisturizer and that expensive face wash(Black teen girl,11t

228、h grade),and also for teen boys related to gym culture and the ideal body type.With respect to gym content,one teen noted,A lot of my guy friends are affected by gym content and feel the pressure to,like,work out every single day,or,like,have the ideal body type(LBGTQ+Asian teen girl,12th grade).A t

229、een boy shared,As someone that goes to the gym and watches a lot of gym content,there are so many,like,influencers online that have just the perfect bodies.Latino teen boy,12th gradeFilters can be particularly relevant on Snapchat,as described by the teen who shared,In middle school,everyone around

230、me would use the Snapchat filters that would make you look better.I got so used to seeing myself a certain way that when I turned it off,I would get insecure.So once I deleted that app and I stopped using the filters,I felt better about myself.LGBTQ+biracial teen girl,10th grade.2024 COMMON SENSE ME

231、DIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 25But as a reminder that teens experiences of different plat-forms vary in meaningful ways,it is worth n

232、oting that others directly pointed to Reddit as having the opposite effect for them:On Reddit pages about SATs and AP classes,I think theyre very inflated with the,like,the level of expec-tations of greatness that they have on there,and I feel like that makes a lot of people feel bad about them-selv

233、es,even when you can look at it and then look at statistics and know that only the people with the high-est numbers are the ones posting on there.And I think that the communities there are really negative and can make people feel bad about themselves.LGBTQ+White teen girl,12th gradeSocial media infl

234、uences on Social Life and Friendship pressuresThree-quarters of teens who report Social Life pressure say that social media at least sometimes worsens this pressure(75%,of which 40%say social media only increases Social Life pressure,and 35%say the influence is mixed).For this pres-sure,42%say that

235、social media at least sometimes decreases pressure(including the 35%who say the influence is mixed and the 7%who say social media only decreases their Social Life pressure).Another 18%say it has no effect.The Impact of Social Media on Social Life Pressure8 out of 10 teens social media at least somet

236、imes increases Social Life pressure.5 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes decreases Social Life pressure.This figure shows that nearly 8 in 10(75%)teens who feel Social Life pressure say social media at least sometimes increases it,and 4 in 10 say it only increases this pressure(40%).Ove

237、r 4 in 10(42%)say social media at least sometimes decreases Social Life pressure,and less than 1 in 10(7%)say it only decreases this pressure.Thus,the figure reflects a mixed but negative-leaning portrayal of social medias influ-ence on Social Life pressure.The Impact of Social Media on Game Plan Pr

238、essure7 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes increases Game Plan pressure.5 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes decreases Game Plan pressure.This figure shows that nearly 7 in 10(68%)teens who feel Game Plan pressure say social media at least sometimes increases it,and over 3

239、in 10 say it only increases this pres-sure(32%).Approximately 4 in 10(44%)say social media at least sometimes decreases Game Plan pressure,and nearly 1 in 10(8%)say it only decreases this pressure.Thus,the figure reflects a mixed but negative-leaning portrayal of social medias influence on Game Plan

240、 pressure.In our co-interpretation groups with teens,we heard about how social media can spark social comparisons that are spe-cifically linked to others achievements and success:Social mediabased off my feedwho Im seeing is all of these really successful peoplelike people my age and all of their ac

241、hievements.So then I just feel like I end up comparing myself even more and with personal friends or classmates.LGBTQ+biracial teen girl,10th gradePersonal records at the gym,college acceptances,and other personal achievements are other forms of social media sharing that teens described as having po

242、tential to exacer-bate pressure.On the other hand,they shared that particular uses of social media can help directly reduce these:I dont use Reddit often,but the only times that I do is for advice with school,or my career.It was the only so-cial media platform that I said decreases my pressure,becau

243、se I feel like with that platform you could find guidance or with tips I feel like are really important for teenagers.LGBTQ+biracial teen girl,10th grade 26 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HA

244、RVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.On the other hand,social media can also ease Social Life pressure.For example,teens shared that it provides a con-tinued opportunity to connect with peers,which can reduce the pressure put on in-person interactions.However,the

245、opportunity for ongoing connection can be a burden.Being constantly connected through their smart-phones can amplify the pressure that teens feel to reply to friends and maintain regular contact.Replying to my friends texts,answering calls,and just having all these expectations in a friendship met s

246、ometimes I feel that if I dont talk to a friend that much,then that could affect,like,my social life,and it could all like crumble down.Even though I know it wont,theres still that little pressure in the back of my head that it could.LGBTQ+Asian teen girl,12th gradeGroup chats with a large volume of

247、 participation are also relevant here:While they can support friendship and close-ness in meaningful ways for the teens who are included,knowing about group chats that some peers are in(and others are being excluded from)can also worsen the Friendship and Social Life pressures that teens feel.Social

248、 media influences on Activism pressure Nearly three-quarters of teens who feel Activism pressure say that social media at least sometimes increases this pres-sure(73%,of which 33%say social media only increases Activism pressure;40%say the influence is mixed).For this pressure,more than half(51%)say

249、 that social media at least sometimes decreases the pressure(including the 40%who say the influence is mixed,and another 11%who say it only decreases the pressure.Another 16%say it has no effect.Just over two-thirds who experience Friendship pressure say that social media at least sometimes worsens

250、it(69%,of which 30%say it only increases the pressure;another 39%say the influence is mixed).Fully half of teens say social media at least sometimes decreases Friendship pressure for them(including the 39%who say the influence is mixed and another 11%who say social media only decreases this pressure

251、).Another 21%say it has no effect.The Impact of Social Media on Friendship Pressure7 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes increases Friendship pressure.5 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes decreases Friendship pressure.This figure shows that nearly 7 in 10(69%)teens who feel

252、Friendship pressure say social media at least sometimes increases it,and 3 in 10 say it only increases this pressure(30%).Approximately 5 in 10(50%)say social media at least sometimes decreases Friendship pressure,and about 1 in 10(11%)say it only decreases this pressure.Thus,the figure reflects a m

253、ixed but negative-leaning portrayal of social medias influence on Friendship pressure.In our co-interpretation groups with teens,we heard about a variety of ways in which social media can convey a sense of what social life should be,and in ways that contribute to compari-sons that can make teens fee

254、l worse.I can see on Instagram,for example,other people post-ing with their friends.And it might make me realize,like I dont really hang out with my friends as much as some other people do.And in those ways,social media increases all my pressures because its what I can use to compare myself to other

255、s.LGBTQ+White teen girl,12th grade It can also feel like:everybodys at a party or something during the week-end because social media is always,like,full of stuff that theyre doing,and Im just here.Latina teen girl,10th grade 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND TH

256、E TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 27Content and context matterThe data from this study suggests that social media can play different roles in the pressures that teens feelin some cases,amplifyi

257、ng pressure,in other cases,decreasing it,and some-times a mix of both.The overall portrayal is negative-leaning,with social media more often worsening pressures rather than helping to decrease them,though the data does showcase nuance and varied experiences.Teen co-interpreters offered insights abou

258、t the importance of content and context,too.They emphasized that the type of content Im consuming matters on social media(LGBTQ+White teen girl,12th grade),and acknowledged that algorithms shape the content and therefore how pressures are impacted:I personally think that it depends on how the algo-r

259、ithm is suggesting stuff to you Its depending on what youre looking at and what youre doing on that platform sometimes.Sometimes it gives youit allows you to ease the pressure because of how the algorithm is working and how your mind is processing those things.So I think its just kind of one of thos

260、e things where it can be anything.White teen boy,10th gradeAnd they pointed to particular positives related to interest-driven engagement and learning.For example,If Im on Twitter,where for me is where Im in a lot of fandom spaces that I like,I really enjoy that time be-cause Im looking at really co

261、ol art or reading peoples opinions.And because thats like important to me and to whatever,you know,media Im enjoying,that feels a lot more valuable to me,and like,I always notice Im happier whenit sounds really weirdbut when Im able to spend more time in those spaces.LGBTQ+White teen girl,12th grade

262、 The Impact of Social Media on Activism Pressure7 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes increases Activism pressure.5 out of 10 teens social media at least sometimes decreases Activism pressure.This figure shows that over 7 in 10(73%)teens who feel Activism pressure say social media at lea

263、st sometimes increases it,and over 3 in 10 say it only increases this pres-sure(33%).Over 5 in 10(51%)say social media at least sometimes decreases Activism pressure,and over 1 in 10(11%)say it only decreases this pressure.Thus,the figure reflects a mixed but negative-leaning portrayal of social med

264、ias influence on Activism pressure,and one that is more balanced than for other pressures.From teens who examined the survey findings with us,we heard that Activism pressure has both obvious and more subtle dimensions online.Teens described how seeing other people and influencers post about activism

265、 motivates people to do the same.They also said that seeing a steady flood of activist-oriented content can also make teens feel very,like,desensitized(LGBTQ+Asian teen girl,12th grade).And they described feeling pressure to be informed and speak out:You are called out a lot more on social media esp

266、e-cially in our current state,you know,to speak on sub-jects,to go out of your way to say what you need to.I see a lot of my friends say stuff.I personally say stuff about whatever I feel like I need to do because I have my voice for a reason.So the pressure to be informed,and the pressure to know e

267、verything,and the pres-sure to,you know,grasp things have lasted for over a hundred years,grasp a lot of issues and to speak on them eloquently,and to be able to put them in a way that other teens can understandthat pressure is like very high.LGBTQ+Black teen,10th grade28 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN

268、AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.Gaming can be a release valve for the pressure and stress that teens feel.Eighty percent of teens report gaming

269、 with others,and social gaming is different from other social mediait generally reduces feelings of pressure,and rarely worsens them.Almost 80%of teens report that they engage in digital games with others.For these teens who are social gamersthat is,those who play online games(e.g.,Minecraft,Fortnit

270、e)that involve interacting with other playersteens most com-monly answer that it has no effect on the pressures they feel,and roughly one in four say that gaming only helps to decrease each pressure.Relative to the other social media platforms,social gaming stands out as being the most positive and

271、least pressure-amplifying.Depending on the pressure,between 23%and 28%say gaming only decreases the pressure,4%to 10%say gaming only increases the pressure,14%to 26%say the influ-ence is mixed,and 41%to 55%say it has no effect.This generally echoes existing research on the benefits of playing video

272、games(Granic et al.,2014),including how teens say gaming helps more often than hurts in areas like supporting teens friendships,mental health,and problem-solving skills(though not with sleep and school performance)(Gottfried&Sidoti,2024).This differentiation of gaming from social media reflected in

273、the survey findings was also bolstered by comments from teen co-interpreters who explained:Gaming for about an hour versus social media for an hoursometimes social media can leave me feeling very overstimulated.Theres so much content and material Im absorbing in,like,a small time frame.So yeah,I thi

274、nk gaming,compared to social media,is more relaxing,and it doesnt,like,hurt my brain as much because I can just take the time to chill and relax.Whereas with social media,although I would go on it to relax,it leaves me feeling different ways.LGBTQ+biracial teen girl,10th gradeYou get to escape when

275、youre gaming.Why would you think about appearance,my achievements?Why would I need to focus on the future,my social skills,my social pressures,the friendships?Gaming is intended to focus you on the game and not whats going on around you,almost.White teen boy,10th gradeTeens also acknowledge that gam

276、ing can be stressful if inter-actions become tense.They also point out that it can be an escape while playing,but may distract from tackling priorities,which then later increases stress.Afterward,gaming might reduce your amount of free time,which in turn can then increase your pressure.LGBTQ+biracia

277、l teen girl,10th gradeA Closer Look at Gaming 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 29The Impact of Gaming on PressuresSoc

278、ial LifeAchievementGame PlanMakes it worseNo effectA mix of bothMakes it betterAppearanceFriendshipActivismNote:This graphic illustrates the multifaceted impact of gaming on various pressures.More teens say that gaming only alleviates their pressures than only exacerbates them,though many teens who

279、play social games say this has no effect on the pressure that they feel(gray),and some say the influence is mixed(as represented by overlapping green and red boxes).30 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FE

280、LLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.Burnoutand 48%of teens endorsed the statement Occasionally I am under stress,and I dont always have as much energy as I once did,but I dont feel burned out.Among those who said they were experiencing burnout,19%said,

281、I am definitely burning out,and 5%endorsed the state-ment,The symptoms of burnout that I am experiencing wont go away.I think about this a lot.Another 3%agreed with I feel completely burned out and often wonder if I can go on.I am at the point where I may need some changes or need to seek some sort

282、of help.My older brother who was,I think,just leaving middle school,was going into high school and was talking about how he couldnt find a reason to go to school anymore cause he was just so tired all the time.He just kept working and working and working,and he was just burnt out.He was just he was

283、just donejust tired of it,constantly.I remember my older brother described it in a way where he said,I feel like a train whos burnt off every ounce of fuel thats left,but still hasnt reached the station.LGBTQ+Latinx teen,10th gradeI define burnout as getting overwhelmed and not being able to do ever

284、ything you need to do.It is a collec-tion of everything you have to do in your life,not just school,work,social.Latino teen boy,12th grade Teens who report a greater number of pressures are more likely to also report feeling burned out,as are those who reported feeling any given pressure more intens

285、ely.For each additional pressure that a teen reports,there is a 2.2 times increase in their likelihood of reporting burnout.Notably,among teens who report experiencing none of the pressures,only 5%(1 in 20)reported experiencing burnout,whereas 43%(nearly 9 in 20 teens)reported burnout if they had al

286、so reported four or more pressures.One interesting exception is the Activism-related pressure,which was associated with slightly lower,rather than higher,burnout.More than one-quarter of American teens struggle with burnout.Burnout can occur when teens face persistent,over-whelming pressure without

287、adequate social support systems or effective self-care practices.As one teen put it:What creates burnout in my life would be things that put pressure on me,I suppose.Latino teen boy,12th gradeBurnout is typically defined in research using three criteria:emotional exhaustion,cynicism or depersonaliza

288、tion,and low sense of personal accomplishment or self-efficacy(Maslach,Shaufeli,&Leiter,2001;Walburg,2014).In their own words,teens described burnout in ways that closely align with these criteria.They described it as losing motivation,when you stop caring about doing assignments LGBTQ+Latina teen g

289、irl,11th grade,and when you lose interest in things,eat less,sleep more,generally numb LGBTQ+Asian teen girl,12th grade.I think of burnout like an overused machine in a fac-tory Youre just doing the same thing over and over,and you dont feel like you really have a purpose.Black teen girl,11th grade

290、Mistrust of others and paranoid competitiveness were also relevant in some teens descriptions:When people start getting burned out,they start where theyre working and they work themselves into exhaustion,but they still want to be able to beat the other person.They still want to get the highest grade

291、s,and it turns into an almost paranoid sort of need to be better You just kinda become paranoid.LGBTQ+Latinx teen,10th gradeIn our survey,more than one in four American teens(27%)said they were experiencing burnout.Among those who reported that they were not burned out,25%endorsed the statement I en

292、joy my life.I have no symptoms of burnout,2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 31American Teens Feelings of Burnout1I hav

293、e no symptoms of burnout.73%Not Burned OutScored 1 or 227%Burned OutScored 3,4,or 52I dont always have as much energy as I once did,but I dont feel burned out.3I am definitely burning out.4 or 5The symptoms of burnout wont go away;I often wonder if I can go on.Note:This chart shows the extent of bur

294、nout among American teens.More than one in four teens(27%)are actively struggling with burnout(responses 35),while 73%are not feeling burned out(responses 12).Percentage of Teens Who Feel Burned Out,by Number of Reported PressuresNo PressuresOne PressureTwo PressuresThree PressuresFour PressuresFive

295、 PressuresSix Pressures5%Burned Out14%Burned Out20%Burned Out31%Burned Out44%Burned Out42%Burned Out42%Burned OutNote:This figure shows the percentage of teens who feel burned out,organized by the number of negative pressures reported.For example,among those teens who report no pressures that make t

296、hem feel bad,5%feel burned out;among those who report all six negative pressures,42%feel burned out.This chart highlights the compounding effect of multiple pressures and indicates a clear relationship between teens reports of pressure(s)and of burnout.32 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PR

297、ESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.Certain demographic groups of teens reported higher levels of burnout:nonbinary teens(compared to teen girls and teen boys),olde

298、r teens(compared to younger teens),and LGBTQ+teens(compared to cisgender straight teens).Youth who co-interpreted the survey data with us surfaced several methodological considerations related to how we asked about and measured burnout in our survey:1.The survey data may underreport teen burnout bec

299、ause of stigma associated with the term burnout itself(A lot of people might stigmatize burnout mental health issues in generalLGBTQ+White teen girl,12th grade),as well as because the term could be interpreted by some teens as a true point of crisis(Thats a very strong word that I take seriously Wer

300、e stressed,you know.Were tired.But I feel like we still have energy to keep going at the same point.LGBTQ+White teen girl,12th grade).2.Burnout may be seen as more fluid by teens than it is by adults(e.g.,burnout comes in waves,depending on what you have going onLGBTQ+biracial teen girl,10th grade).

301、Some days,I do feel burned out,and then other days,I dont.Instead of just like,I am burning out.If that makes sense.LGBTQ+biracial teen girl,10th grade 3.We used a validated and widely used Likert scale item for measuring burnout,but teens noted that the scale could have had more granularity to give

302、 them the opportunity to indicate nuance.With the one through five scale,its a bit of an extreme jump to go from Im expe-riencing symptoms to Im wondering if I can go on.LGBTQ+White teen girl,12th grade 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA

303、UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 33Self-Care PracticesOn average,teens report that they engage in two self-care practices on four or more days in the past week.Only one in 50 teens(2%)engage in every practice on fo

304、ur or more days,and one in seven teens(14%)did not engage in any self-care practice on four or more days in the past week.For teens who engaged in any protective practice four or more days over the past week,55%slept more than seven hours per night,40%did something for fun or relaxation,40%got at le

305、ast an hour of exercise/physical activity,30%spent time outside or in nature,24%gave help to friends or classmates,22%had deep/meaningful conversations with friends,and 16%did something creative that was not for school.Teens who exam-ined the survey findings alongside us speculated that the self-car

306、e practices that teens reported in our survey may have been clustered over weekend days versus on weekdays.For a closer look at teens engagement in these self-care practices,please see the table on the following page.Teens who engage in more self-care practices report lower burnout.Most teens active

307、ly engage in a variety of self-care practices,but many still fall short of recommended guidelines for sleep and exercise.Self-care practices can help regulate healthy routines and buffer negative impacts of pressure and stress.For adoles-cents,self-care activities like getting sufficient sleep,physi

308、cal activity,and meaningful social connection are cornerstones of adolescent well-being and key buffers for mental health(Kiss et al.,2022).We asked American teens about when(and how frequently)they engage in a variety of self-care practices.We asked about a variety of practices that research sugges

309、ts may have protective factors against stress and burnout.These include physical health practices(seven hours or more of sleep,exercising an hour or more,spending time in nature),social practices(helping out a friend,having a deep or meaningful conversation with a friend),and psychological flow-rela

310、ted practices(doing something fun or relaxing,engaging in a creative activity).34 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.Fr

311、equency of Self-Care Practices Among U.S.Teens4 or more days in the past week13 days in the past weekNever in the past weekPhysical Self-Care PracticesSleep(7h+)Exercise(1h+)Time Outsideor in NatureSocial Self-Care PracticesDeep/Meaningful ConversationHelped a Friendor ClassmatePsychological Flow Se

312、lf-Care PracticesDid SomethingCreativeDid SomethingFun/RelaxingNote:This figure shows the frequency of self-care practices for American teens(as of October and November 2023)across three areas of self-care:physical,social,and psychological flow.Responses range from 4 or more days in the past week(da

313、rkest colors,at top)to 13 days in the past week(lighter colors,in the middle)and Never in the past week(gray,at bottom).The data reveals that teens are more likely to engage in self-care practices weekly instead of daily.Frequency of Self-Care Activities by U.S.TeensIn the last week,teens Never13 Da

314、ys4+DaysGot 7 or more hours of sleep per night9%36%55%Got at least 1 hour of exercise/physical activity13%47%40%Did something just for fun or relaxation5%55%40%Spent time outside or in nature16%54%30%Helped friends or classmates9%67%24%Had a deep/meaningful conversation with a friend19%59%22%Did som

315、ething creative(not for school)23%61%16%2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 35Most teens are engaging in creative activi

316、ties weekly,but not daily.Six in 10 teens(61%)did something creative that was not for school on one to three days in the past week,and one in six(16%)did so on four or more days.Nearly one in four teens(23%)did not engage in a creative activity in the past week.Most teens are doing things for fun an

317、d relaxation weekly,but not daily.Over half of teens(55%)did something for fun or relaxation on one to three days in the past week,and two in five(40%)did this on four or more days.Only about 5%did not do anything for fun or relaxation on any days.Routine practices for self-care are less common for

318、some groups of teens.LGBTQ+teens report less engagement in the physical self-care activities(sleep,exercise,and spending time outside or in nature).However,they report similar engagement in social(helping a friend,having a meaningful conversation)and psychological flow(fun/relaxation,cre-ativity)sel

319、f-care activities as their straight and cisgender peers.(See Spotlight:LGBTQ+Teens,beginning on page 40,for more detail.)Similarly,teen girls report less engagement in physical self-care activities compared to teen boys,such that they are 42%less likely to get more than one hour of exercise weekly,2

320、9%less likely to get at least one night of more than seven hours of sleep weekly,and 26%less likely to spend time in nature or outside at least once weekly.However,teen girls are 45%more likely to have deep and meaningful conversations with friends weekly and 53%more likely to engage in creative act

321、ivities at least once weekly.Self-care and burnoutMore self-care is associated with lower burnout.On average,for each additional self-care practice that teens reported at least weekly,there is a 23%decrease in their likelihood of being burned out.Both higher intensity(days per week)and number of pra

322、ctices seem to matter.About one-third(34%)of teens who engage in a low(zero or one)number of self-care practices at least four times weekly report being burned out.Of the teens with mod-erate self-care engagement(two to five practices at least four times weekly),23%report being burned out.And only 6

323、%of teens with high self-care engagement(six to seven practices,at least four times weekly)report being burned out.Notably,among the teens who engage in all self-care practices at least four days a week,none report being burned out.Of the teens who engage in no regular(four or more days)self-care pr

324、ac-tices,41%report experiencing burnout.Sleep experiences vary,but many teens arent getting enough.The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recom-mends that teens(age 12 to 18)should regularly sleep 8 to 10 hours per night(Paruthi et al.,2016).In the current sample,55%of teens got seven or more hours

325、of sleep at least four of the last seven nights,leaving almost half(45%)who did not.Over one in three teens(36%)got seven or more hours of sleep on one to three days,and nearly 1 in 10 teens(9%)did not get seven or more hours of sleep on any night in the past week.Most teens are not getting enough d

326、aily physical exercise.The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that teens get a minimum of one hour of exercise each day.In this survey,40%of teens got the recommended amount of exercise at least four days in the past week;the majority(60%)did not.Less than half(47%)of teens got the one-hour r

327、ecommenda-tion on one to three days,and about one in eight(13%)did not meet the one-hour recommendation on any days.Most teens spend time outside in nature weekly,but not daily.Of the teens we surveyed,84%spent at least some time outside in the prior week;30%spent some time outside on four or more d

328、ays of the prior week and 54%spent time outside on one to three days.Further,16%say that they spent no time outside or in nature on any day in the last week.Teens who co-interpreted the survey findings with us suggested that access to nature and/or safe outdoor spaces might be a barrier for some you

329、th.About one in five teens had no deep or meaningful conver-sations with friends in the last week.A majority of teens(59%)report that they had deep and meaningful conversa-tions with friends one to three times in the past week.Twenty-two percent had meaningful conversations on four or more days in t

330、he past week,and 19%reported that they had not had a deep or meaningful conversations with a friend in the past week).Some teens who examined these survey findings noted that it can be difficult for teens to find rela-tionships where they can share authentically and without judgment.Other teens said

331、 that while they spent valued time socializing,they wouldnt have said that they had deep and meaningful conversations because they interpreted those as more in depth and talking about my feelings versus casual,fun socializing.Most teens are helping their peers weekly,but not daily.As expected from r

332、ecent research(Konrath et al.,2023),teens today are prosocial,with two-thirds of the teens we surveyed(67%)providing help to friends or classmates one to three days in the past week,and almost one-quarter(24%)helping a friend on four or more days.About 1 in 10 teens(9%)did not help a friend or class

333、mate on any days.36 UNPACKING GRIND CULTURE IN AMERICAN TEENS:PRESSURE,BURNOUT,AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2024 COMMON SENSE MEDIA,THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE,AND THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.Looking specifically at those teens who report no pressures that make them feel bad,several practices and patterns emerge.They tend to get more sleep:They are 227%m