Technology is a double-edged sword
Using technology, including social media, in our day-to-day lives can provide many benefits, like keeping in touch with friends and whānau who live far away, or tracking exercise.
As part of our Healthy Futures surveys, we track health and wellbeing attitudes and behaviours amongst New Zealanders, with a focus on physical, emotional/mental and social wellbeing. The latest report uncovered some interesting views about the ways technology can impact our health and wellbeing.
Social media, self-esteem and self-care
The latest report showed that concerns about social media were the highest they’ve been since we began Healthy Futures in 2019. Of those surveyed, 78% said they were worried about the impact social media had on their self-esteem. This is up five per cent on results from 2022.
More than a third of those surveyed, at 36%, said that social media had a negative effect on how they felt about themselves. Possibly contributing to that effect is how 30% of respondents said they compared themselves to others on social media.
On the flipside, respondents valued technology as it enabled them to connect with others – 71% of those surveyed said that devices helped them to connect with others through social media and gave them a sense of community.
A further 60% believed that technology helped them to look after their health and wellness through online programmes and apps – this was particularly true for 30–39-year-olds with 71% noting this benefit.
A focus on children
While 91% of respondents said they were either content or happy with their children’s mental wellbeing, many had growing concerns about the impact of technology on their tamariki.
Time spent on devices was a pain-point, with 71% of all respondents, and 83% of 30–39-year-olds, saying they were concerned about the amount of time their children spent on devices and they were worried about the resulting impacts to their health and wellbeing.
However, technology certainly has a positive role to play. Of those surveyed, 63% said that computer games and devices helped their children to learn problem-solving and to build connections with others. This sentiment was the highest among parents in professional jobs, with 75% noting this benefit of technology for their child’s education.
For more insights about New Zealanders’ changing health and wellbeing attitudes and behaviours, see our 2024 Healthy Futures Report.
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