2022 Digital Wellbeing Index
Research Findings

METHODOLOGY

9,003

3

6

Respondents
12-minute online survey

Audiences
Gen Z teens, 13–17
Gen Z adults, 18–24
Parents of 13–19-year-olds

Countries
Australia, France, Germany,
India, UK, US

UnitedKingdom
Kingdom
UnitedGermany
Germany

FranceFranceUnitedUnitedStates
States

India
India

Australia

Interviews
wereconducted
from
22 April
20222022
to 10 toMay
Interviews
wereconducted
from
22 April
10 2022.
May 2022.

1. THE DIGITAL WELLBEING INDEX IS A COMPELLING MEASURE OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING ONLINEFoundation
The Index drew upon more than four decades of research on subjective
wellbeing, adapted for the online environment, and incorporated
multi-year studies on online risks conducted by the research teamamong teens and adults in 34 countries.

Relationship of online risk with DWBI

Validity
The resulting DWB index shows clear relationships between risk
exposure, social media and social support assets and current online
wellbeing. Four groups were identiﬁed based on their wellbeing scores:
ﬂourishing, thriving, middling and struggling.

Any risk

Multi-dimensional
The scale shows areas where users are experiencing positive beneﬁts
and growth, which can outweigh negative incidents for many.

Threatening behaviour

Statistically robust
Items reﬁned through pretesting and post-hoc analyses. The ﬁnal DWBI
scale demonstrated robust statistical properties (e.g. validity, internalconsistency).

Sexual
Self-harm
Struggling

Flourishing
DWBI

2. SOCIAL MEDIA PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN DIGITAL WELLBEING

1

Positive inﬂuence
Those who saw social media as apositive inﬂuence in digital wellbeing

2

Quality over quantity
Digital wellbeing is more dependent on
the nature and quality of your interactions
online and less dependent on how muchtime is spent on social media

Social media is a positiveinﬂuence in my life

Fake news, misinformation(“normalised risk?”)
Threatening behaviour

3

Type of risk matters
Personally targeted risks exhibit astrong relationship with digital
wellbeing, while “normalised” risks
show a weak relationshipAvg. daily hours
using social media

Struggling

Flourishing

DWBI

3. PARENTS ARE GENERALLY IN TUNE WITH THEIR TEENAGERS’DIGITAL WELLBEING
Regular parent communication about online
activities with teens can make a diﬀerence

Parents of teens (13–17)
correctly estimated theirdigital wellbeing• The ability of parents to accurately estimate theextent of their teen’s digital wellbeing was driven
by how regularly the parents checked in

Parents who don’t check insigniﬁcantly
underestimated theirteenagers’ risk exposure• Teens whose parents regularly checked in had
higher digital well-being and retained higher
levels of trust from their parents• Conversely, the subset of parents who did not
regularly check in about their teens’ online
experiences signiﬁcantly underestimated teens’risk exposure (by nearly 20 points).

19pt.
19pt.gap!
gap!

Teens

Parents’ estimateof teen DWBIGen Z actual
risk exposure

Parents
estimated risk
exposure4. GEN Z ADULTS (18–24-YEAR-OLDS) HAD LOWER DIGITALWELLBEING THAN TEENSDWBI• Our data likely reﬂects the unprecedented
feelings of uncertainty felt most strongly by
Gen Z adults. National surveys consistently
report Gen Z adults are doing worse mentallyand physically than other demographic
groups• Compared to teens, Gen Z adults were lesssatisﬁed with their life online and reported
much lower scores on physical and emotional
healthTeens(13–17-year-olds)

Gen Z adults(18–24-year-olds)

INTRODUCING THE DIGITAL WELLBEING INDEX

Positive emotion: 12

Achievement: 13:

Engagement: 13

13

Negative emotion: 11
Base: Gen Z, N=6002
Scores range from 0–100, inventory of items on slide 50

Relationships: 132022 Score

62

DWBI GROUP SIZES & SCORE RANGES
Flourishing, 78–100
Thriving, 62–77

DWBI midpoint score

Middling, 45–61

Struggling, 0–44

Percent Gen Z Adults, 18–24
Base: Gen Z, N=6002

Q5. Which, if any, of the following have happened to you personally ONLINE, on any electronic device during the past three months? Select all that apply

DWB group

Description

Flourishing(Very high)Extremely positive – rate
everything at the top end of thescale

Thriving(High)

Average top two box across thedimensions; may not be top box on
everything but experiences overall
are very positive

Middling(Medium)“Mid-range” in their evaluations.
Mix of favourable andunfavourable ratings; noteverything is great

Struggling(Low)

Rate all dimensions on the low endof the scale (1–3 range);consistently encounter negative
experiences and outcomesVALIDITY: DIGITAL WELLBEING RELATIONSHIPS
Risk
Direction ofrelationship• Personal• Non-personal+-

Socialmedia• Usage• Attitudes

Supportassets• Parents• School• Community• Peers++

Health• Physical• Emotional

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DWBI AND RISKS
The relationship was dependent on the type of risk
Strong negative relationships with DWBI

Bullying

DWBI
Struggling

FlourishingTeasing, namecalling, purposefulembarrassment
Flaming
Damaging
relationships

SexualSexual solicitation

Self-harmThoughts ofself-harmThoughts of suicide

Weak relationships with DWBI. Have these risks been “normalised?”

Fake identity

DWBI
Struggling

Flourishing

Someone impersonatedand made false or
malicious statements
while pretending to beme*
A user pretended to besomeone else to try andsell me something or for
ﬁnancial gain *A user pretended to besomeone else to try andestablish a relationshipwith me *Someone pretended to
be a celebrity or
represent a brand toentice me to interact withthem *

Base: Gen Z, N=6002, * Small samples in the low and very high groups
Q5. Which, if any, of the following have happened to you personally ONLINE, on any electronic device during the past three months? Select all that apply.

Other risks
Fake news,
misinformation
Unwanted contact

Contraband,
extremism
Violent extremism,
content andmessaging*
Illegal drug sales*
Illegal weapons
sales*DWBI
Struggling

FlourishingEVIDENCE FOR THE NORMALISATION OF RISKS

Reasons not to report an incident
41%
64% ignored or brushedoﬀ bad behaviour

23%

I just ignore it. It’s normal
for people to post things
some people ﬁnd
oﬀensive

No big deal, the person
was just expressing an
opinionBase: typically use Snapchat, Instagram and other social platforms N=6087
Q21: What are the reasons you do not or would not report an incident?

26%

Gen Z adults
Teens 23%

Fear nothing will happen,
no serious consequences
for the abuser

18%

17%

Fear of retaliation

Fear I’d get blamed for theincident

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DWBI AND SOCIAL MEDIA
For most, social media had a positive inﬂuence on digital wellbeing
Social media has apositive inﬂuence on
the quality of my life

I cannot live my life
without social media

The world would be abetter place withoutsocial media

positive

positive

positive

Struggling

Flourishing

Struggling

DWBI(% picked statement, forced choice)
Base: Gen Z, N=6002

Q12b: Which of the following is closer to your view about social media?
Q26: How true is each statement for you personally?

Flourishing
DWBI(% completely agree, agree a lot)

Struggling

Flourishing
DWBI(% completely agree, agree a lot)GEN Z SAW SOCIAL MEDIA AS A POSITIVE FORCE IN THEIR LIVES

78%
of Gen Zers believed social media had apositive inﬂuence on their quality of life
• Belief among teens (84%) was signiﬁcantly

stronger than among Gen Z adults (71%)• Gen Z males (81%) were more likely to believe thisthan females (75%); this diﬀerence held for bothteens and Gen Z adults• Parents’ (73%) opinion about social media’s

inﬂuence mirrored that of Gen Z adults

Q12b: Which of the following is closer to your view about social media: “Social media has a positive inﬂuence on my quality of life” or “social media has a negative inﬂuence on my quality of life”?

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DWB & SUPPORT NETWORKS
Broad support networks had a positive impact on DWB

Number of support assets*

Digital wellbeing segment

0 to 3
Struggling

Middling Thriving Flourishing

Struggling

Middling Thriving Flourishing

Struggling

Middling Thriving Flourishing

4 to 6
7 to 12*Support assets are people who support Gen Zs at home, school, in the community and among friends & peers, must have selected “completely agree” or “agree a lot”
Base: Gen Z, N=6002
Q26. How true is each statement for you personally?

ONLINE RISK LANDSCAPE

Snapchat confidential

THREE IN FOUR GEN ZS REPORTED EXPERIENCING A RISK
More than eight in 10 for Gen Z adults
Experienced at least one risk during the past
three months

Overall risk incidenceNo, 24%

Yes, 76%

Teens, 13–17

Gen Z adults, 18–24

Parents of
13–19-year-olds
Parents reported what risks
they believed their children
experienced

Base: Gen Z, N=6002
Q5. Which, if any, of the following have happened to you personally ONLINE, on any electronic device during the past three months? Select all that apply

RISK DISTRIBUTION: NON-PERSONAL = MOST COMMON
Non-personal

Threatening behaviour

SexualNon-consensual intimate
imagery and unwanted
sexual attention, 26%
Fake news or misinformation, 50%

Hate speech, bullying andharassment, threats of violence, 39%

Contraband
Extremism

Self harm

Fake identity

Unwanted contact, 35%

Online impersonation, accounthijacking, 27%

Base: Gen Z,
N=6002Q5. Which, if any, of the following have happened to you personally ONLINE, on any electronic device during the past three months? Select all that apply

Extremist
content,
illegal drugs,
weapon sales,
16%

Thoughts
of self harm
andsuicide, 14%

RISK DETAIL
21% Bullying and harassment

19% Online impersonation

12% Non-consensual intimate
imagery

Disrespecting
Teasing, name calling,
purposeful embarrassment

A user pretended… to try andestablish a relationship with me

Unsolicited sexual
content

Trolling
A user pretended… to try andsell me something or for
ﬁnancial gain

Flaming
ExcludingDamaging relationships

Sexual solicitation
Someone pretended to be acelebrity or represent a brand

Dislike/contempt for females
Cyberstalking
DoxingBase: Gen Z, N=6002
Q6A. Experienced non-consensual intimate imagery, bullying, impersonation, self-harm

Someone impersonated me
online and madefalse/malicious statements

Revenge pornGEN Z ADULTS EXPERIENCED MORE RISKS THAN TEENSFake news and misinformation, 56%
Unwanted contact, 35%
Sexual risks, 32%
ID theft, 32%
Hate speech, 31%
Online bullying and harassment,
22%
Illicit drug/weapon sales, 18%
Self harm, 17%
Threats of violence, 15%Extremist content, 11%Base: Gen Z, N=6002

Gen Z adults

Teens

Q5. Which, if any, of the following have happened to you personally ONLINE, on any electronic device during the past three months? Select all that apply

ONE IN SEVEN (14%) OF GEN Zers HAD THOUGHTS OF SELF HARM

49%
FOLLOWED THROUGH ON THEIRTHOUGHTS TO COMMIT SELF HARM
• Teens (57%) were more likely to follow through on thoughts of self harm than Gen Z adults (44%)

Q6D. You mentioned that you [parent: your child] had thoughts of self-harm. Did you follow through on thoughts to harm yourself? Base Gen Z who had thoughts of self harm N=619

TYPES OF SELF-HARM
49%

Cutting, 58%
54%

36%
34%

Hair-pulling, 34%

Interfering with wound healing, 29%

36%

24%

Burning, 29%Inserting objects into skin, 25%
Bruising, breaking bones, 24%

Hitting oneself or an object, 38%

31%
25

Gen Z adults

Teens

Base: Gen Z who followed through on thoughts of self-harm, N=303
Q6Da. If it is not too unsettling and you are comfortable responding, which of the following best describes how you hurt yourself or self-harmed. Select all that apply

Stop eating, binge, purge, 54%

ARE HIGH ACHIEVERS MORE LIKELY TO SELF HARM?
Incidence of self-harmdecreased as DWBI increased,
however…

… those with the highest DWBI
were the most likely to follow
through with self harm

High-achiever pressures?

Among those who
followed throughThoughts of self harmThoughts of suicide

Struggling

Middling

Thriving

DWBI

Flourishing

Struggling*

Middling

Thriving

Flourishing

DWBI
Base: Gen Z who had thoughts of self-harm, N=619*Small samples (N<90) in the low and very high groups

DWBI AROUND THE WORLDGLOBAL AVERAGE = 62

62 United Kingdom
60
Germany

64 United States

60
France

68
India

63
Australia

THE DIGITAL WELLBEING INVENTORY – 20 ITEMS

Positive emotion
Engagement

Often felt proud
Often felt delighted
I generally felt that what I did online was valuable and worthwhile
Felt the things I did online gave me a sense of accomplishment and pride
Have had more good times than bad times online
Got completely absorbed in what I was doing online
Often felt really interested in what I am doing online
Felt excited and interested in things online

Relationships

Was very satisﬁed with my personal relationships online
Have friends who really listen to me when I have something to say online
Received help and support from others online when I needed
Have people in my life online who really care about me

Negative emotion

Worried a lot that other people might not like me
Worried about what other people might be saying about me online
Often felt lonely
Often felt left out and not close to anyone

Achievement

Stayed informed so I felt in touch with what's happening in my community and around the world
Learned how to do things that are important to me
Was able to grow in my skills and abilities
Learned things that gave me more self-conﬁdence

When I was interacting with other people and experiencing things online during the past three months, I…

RISK DEFINITIONS
Risk

Deﬁnition

Account hijacking

Someone used my social media account or email to post or send things that did not come from me. [Includes someone using my phone or accountto post messages pretending to be me.]

Fake news or misinformation

I saw or read a news story or learned something online that appeared to be true but turned out to be false and misleading. This includes alteredimages and videos.

Hate speech

I received or was exposed to speech that attacked a person or group based on factors such as age, gender, national origin, religion, race, disability,
pregnancy, veteran status or sexual orientation.

Illegal drug sales

I was sent/exposed to content promoting the sale, distribution or delivery of illegal or counterfeit drugs through the internet or online platforms.

Weapons sales

I was sent/exposed to content promoting the sale, distribution or delivery of illegal or counterfeit drugs through the internet or online platforms.

Online bullying andharassment

I have been bullied, harassed, teased or called hurtful names online.

Online impersonation

I have had experiences where someone approached me using a fake identity online.

Non-consensual intimate
imagery

Sexually explicit content produced or distributed without the consent of the people depicted.

Thoughts of self harm

I have had thoughts about harming myself as a result of interacting online.

Thoughts of suicide

I have had thoughts about harming myself as a result of interacting online.

Threats of violence, 15%Someone online threatened to harm me, another person or place.

Unwanted contact

Being personally contacted by someone who obtained my information online that I don’t want to interact with or didn’t expect to hear from. [could
include people “following” me online to see my location, what I am doing, who I am with, spam accounts that tried to lure me to follow back, etc.]

Unwanted sexual attention

I received unwelcomed sexually-oriented teasing, joking or ﬂirting.

Violent extremism or terrorism I was sent/exposed to extremist online communications or content that encouraged and condoned acts of violence based on things like religious,
political or racist beliefs.
content/messages
Bold, respondents were asked for the type of online bullying, online impersonation, etc. Deﬁnitions for these are on the following slide

RISK DEFINITIONS - Continued
Online bullying and harassment
Disrespecting: Someone dissed or disrespected me online.
Cyberstalking: A person tracked or followed me, making
me feel very uncomfortable and fearful.
Damaging my relationships: Someone tried or succeeded
in harming my relationships by spreading rumours or lies.
Doxing: A person collected and distributed private personal
information about me (e.g. name, age, email, address,
phone number, images, etc.) without my permission.
Excluding: Someone deliberately left me out of an online
group or text/message thread.
Flaming: A person sent me angry, hurtful or abusive
message(s) or email(s).
Teasing, name calling, purposeful embarrassment:
Someone teased, called me oﬀensive names or
embarrassed me online on purpose.
Trolling: Someone deliberately made unsolicited and/or
controversial comments to try and provoke an emotional
reaction and engage me in a ﬁght or argument.
Dislike and contempt for females/misogyny: I received orcame across hurtful, hateful or sexist images or content
based on my gender.

Online impersonation

Non-consensual intimate imagery

Someone impersonated me online and made false or
malicious statements while pretending to be me.

Unsolicited sexual content: I received or came acrossunwanted sexual images, messages or videos.

A user pretended to be someone else to try and sell mesomething or for ﬁnancial gain.

“Revenge porn”: Someone posted or shared sexually
explicit images or videos of me online without mypermission.

A user pretended to be someone else to try andestablish a relationship with me.
Someone pretended to be a celebrity or represent a
brand to entice me to interact with them.

Sexual solicitation: A person asked me to engage insexual activities or sexual talk, or to provide personalsexual information, including asking for or demanding
nude images.

󰏅 UNITED KINGDOM SNAPSHOT, DWBI = 62
Flourishing
Thriving
Middling
Suﬀering
Any risk (Gen Z)
Personal risks
Fake news, misinformation
Unwanted contact
Threatening behavior
Sexual risks
Fake identity
Contraband, terrorism
Self-harm

Segment size

Relationships
with DWBI
Gen Z
DWBI
Struggling

FlourishingRisks(experienced any risks)Social media(positive inﬂuence))

Support assets(Avg. # of assets, 0-12)

Emotional health(Avg. score, scale 0-7)

DWBI by Audience
Teens
Gen Z adults
Parents
Gen Z male
Gen Z female
Daily Snapchat users
Teens (13-17)
Gen Z adults (18-24)
Parents of 13-19

Safety feature2(Aware not used, used)

Safety resource2(Aware not used, used)

1. Support assets at home, school, in the community and peers
2. Feature = Blocked a user
3. Resource = Mental health