Social Media Workers Are Burnt Out and Relying on AI to Help. It's a Mixed Bag

"We've built an industry that expects real-time creativity, performance, crisis management, and constant availability -- often from one person or a very small team. This just isn't sustainable or healthy. Nearly half of respondents have considered leaving the field because of stress."

"Social media professionals are a prime example of how modern workers are expected to do more with fewer resources and use AI to fill gaps, regardless of whether the new tech will actually help. AI is not only more common in workflows -- it's also the most popular tool among workers experiencing burnout."

"Burnout is the result of ongoing workplace stress, according to the World Health Organization. It manifests as exhaustion, feelings of negativity, a sense of ineffectiveness or inability to feel a sense of accomplishment. The 'always on' culture that dominates social media makes those workers prime targets."

Social media professionals juggle multiple roles including content creation, data analysis, customer service, and marketing, creating unsustainable work conditions. A Metricool survey of nearly 1,000 professionals revealed that 75% manage too many responsibilities simultaneously, with 70% experiencing mental fatigue and 46% reporting burnout or near-burnout symptoms. Nearly half have considered leaving the field due to stress. The industry demands real-time creativity, performance management, crisis response, and constant availability from individuals or small teams. Generative AI has become increasingly integrated into workflows and is notably popular among burned-out workers, yet it simultaneously contributes to workplace pressure by enabling expectations for greater productivity with fewer resources.

Read at CNET