New research reveals crushing impact of long working hours for young adults in the North East

The impact of increasingly complex wellbeing challenges faced by young people today is brought into sharp focus with the publication of the first findings from the 2024 STADA Health Report (24 June 2024).

Amongst a wealth of data examining our country’s resilience, the findings highlight the consuming concerns of young adults, around body image, loneliness and sense of self – all amplified by the pervasive presence of social media in almost every aspect of their daily life.

The report reveals a generation grappling with unrealistic beauty standards and feelings of isolation.

Over three quarters of young adults in the North East (80 per cent) say they are lonely with over one in three (40 per cent) attributing this to working too much to have time for social contact. One in five (20 per cent) of 18-24-year-olds say they often feel lonely and three quarters (75 per cent) describe their loneliness as ‘fairly severe’.

As well as this, nearly one in three (29 per cent) of 18-24 year olds in the UK are unsatisfied with the way they look. A correlation between body image concerns and excessive time on social media is clearly demonstrated. Indeed, 70 per cent of people with poor mental health say they want stricter regulations on social media beauty filters.

These findings are just some of the revelations in the 2024 STADA Health Report, published by global healthcare leader STADA, parent company of Thornton & Ross, the pharmaceutical giant behind some of the biggest names in medicine and cleaning cupboards in the UK, and the firm behind brands like Covonia®, Cetraben®, Hedrin®, Savlon® and Zoflora®. The independently conducted Health Report, now in its 10th year, surveys more than 46,000 respondents from 23 countries, with 2,000 respondents from the UK.

Across the UK as a whole, the research paints a truly concerning picture of the wellbeing of young people (18-24 years old), showing body image - a major worry - is being further compounded by social scrolling. The most common reasons for dissatisfaction with appearance in this age group are weight concerns and social media comparisons. Indeed, over two thirds (68 per cent) of young people with poor mental health and a higher than average BMI report the time they spend comparing themselves to the bodies they see on social media makes them feel worse about themselves.

The report reveals social media is significantly undermining young women's self-esteem. Nearly half (45 per cent) of British 18-24 year-olds constantly compare themselves to the influencers they see online, with 38 per cent of young women struggling with low self-worth, saying they feel they can't match the perfect bodies they see on their feed every day.

Very sadly, more than a quarter (28 per cent) of young women say they have been bullied about their looks, thanks to unrealistic online standards. Possibly as a result, in a desperate bid to fit in, a disturbing number of young women, more than one in ten (12 per cent), are resorting to potentially unhealthy eating habits to emulate social media stars. 

Tom Quinn, director of external affairs at eating disorder charity Beat commented on the findings, "It's concerning that more than 1 in 10 young women from this study are struggling with harmful eating habits. Social media often praises certain body types and sizes, which can lead to negative thoughts about body image for those who don't feel they meet these standards. This can contribute to dangerous eating disorder thoughts and behaviours if someone is unwell with an eating disorder or vulnerable to developing one. While social media can be a positive space for some, harmful health and weight loss advice is very common online, and young people are often exposed to content that can contribute to an eating disorder developing or worsen an existing eating disorder.

"Eating disorders are complex and there are many different reasons why these mental illnesses can develop, including stressful life events such as grief, abuse or the breakdown of relationships. Psychological factors like low self-esteem or perfectionism can also play a part, as well as genetics. Accessing help as soon as possible leads the best chances of making a full recovery, which is why we urge anybody struggling to speak to a loved one they trust and set up a GP appointment at the earliest opportunity. Charities like Beat are also here to provide advice while you wait for treatment."

Young British blokes don’t seem to have it much easier than young women. Feeling like a ‘short king’ doesn’t seem to be a universal experience, with most British men just feeling small, and not perfectly formed. Two-thirds (a whopping 66 per cent) of young men who say their mental health is poor, cite worries about their height, feeling they just don't measure up.

Social media might be awash with ‘short kings’ thanks to celebs such as Jeremy Allan White and Barry Keoghan – both 5’8”, but the reality is only 30 per cent of women on dating apps are looking for a man under 5'11", according to dating app Bumble.

Another surprising concern for young men in the UK is the ‘bald blues’; more than one in three (34 per cent) of 18-24 year-old guys are already worrying about losing their hair.

Nigel Stephenson, general manager at STADA, Thornton & Ross, said, “This year's report has brought to light many shifts in attitudes towards the way we manage our health both as a nation and at a personal level. But one of the standout concerns has got to be the clear demonstration of a correlation with significant mental health struggles with almost half of young people aged 18-24 saying they are comparing themselves to unrealistic standards perpetuated by social media influencers. The concern must surely be that this could be storing up even bigger issues in terms of both physical and mental health in the future for older generations to contend with.

“The pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards is taking a significant toll, particularly on young women. STADA is dedicated to caring for people's health as a trusted partner, and this goes beyond our company. There is clearly work to be done in all quarters in the UK to promote realistic and diverse representations of beauty and provide better mental health resources to help our country’s young people navigate these challenges.”