Gallup

Social media is part of daily life for most adults around the world. Across 97 countries, a median of 81% report using social media in the past seven days. Among users, nearly two-thirds spend less than two hours a day on these platforms, while 12% spend five hours or more. Younger users spend considerably more time online. A median of 52% of users aged 15 to 29 spend at least two hours a day on social media, compared with 33% of those aged 30 to 49 and 23% of those 50 and older. Explore how social media use varies across countries and age groups in Gallup’s 2026 State of the World’s Emotional Health report: https://lnkd.in/eizZRXZc

How does social media use vary around the world? And how much time are different age groups spending online?   Explore these trends from Gallup’s State of the World’s Emotional Health 2026 report in this week’s Front Page.

Employee concerns about AI displacement are connected to their broader experience at work. Gallup research tracking the same workers over time finds that when employees become more concerned that their jobs could be eliminated, their engagement and job satisfaction decline, while burnout and job search activity increase. These are not simply differences between employees who are optimistic about AI and those who are not. The pattern emerges within the same workers as their outlook changes over time. As AI changes the way people work, measuring adoption tells leaders who is using the technology. Monitoring the employee experience can help leaders understand how people are responding to the change. Read Gallup’s research on how AI displacement concerns are connected to engagement, burnout, job satisfaction and job search activity: https://lnkd.in/d-ZZ4ENK

New Gallup research across 97 countries challenges a simple assumption about social media and wellbeing: More isn’t always worse and less isn’t always better. Compared with moderate use, high use is associated with more anger, loneliness, sadness, stress and worry, while low use is associated with lower life evaluation and fewer positive emotions than moderate use. The findings do not show that social media causes better or worse wellbeing. Instead, they offer a more nuanced global view of how social media use and emotional health are connected. Explore the research in Gallup’s 2026 State of the World’s Emotional Health report, released in partnership with World Health Summit: https://lnkd.in/eTXhAAUc

"...but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning." Thats how the CliftonStrengths theme of Learner is defined. But where are a Learners limits? Are there things they refuse to learn? Or things they wish they could unlearn? I recently sat down with John Hope Bryant, founder of Operation HOPE and one of Forbes 250 Greatest Self-Made Americans, to understand where his Learner has limits. "Is there anything you have learned that you would pay to unlearn?" He thought about it. "Most fears are worthless. I learned fear. Its a learned skill." "Is there anything you have refused to learn?" "Yes. Hate." He told me hate is the first cousin of evil, and that it dies with you. A Learner's talent is the journey from ignorance to competence. John's wisdom is knowing the one journey never to take. Listen to my full conversation with John here: https://lnkd.in/eafVanrg

Americans are becoming more familiar with AI, but greater familiarity has not translated into greater trust. Seven in 10 Americans now say they are at least somewhat knowledgeable about AI, up from 64% in 2024. Yet just 27% trust businesses some or a lot to use AI responsibly, down from 31% last year. Skepticism about the technology itself is also growing. Thirty-nine percent now believe AI does more harm than good, up eight percentage points in one year. And nearly eight in 10 expect AI to reduce the number of U.S. jobs over the next decade. As businesses continue to invest in AI, they are doing so at a time when Americans understand more about the technology but are increasingly concerned about its impact. Explore the 2026 Bentley University-Gallup Business in Society Report to understand how Americans view business today, what they expect from companies and how attitudes are shifting on AI and rising prices. https://lnkd.in/grBG9nKx

How can young people build resilience for the challenges ahead? Service may be one part of the answer. Learning to navigate challenges and setbacks is an important part of serving your community, and those skills may transfer to other parts of life, too. Research from Gallup and The Allstate Foundation finds that 66% of young people with service experience agree they can handle whatever comes their way, compared with 52% of those without. Youth with service experience also report greater confidence in persevering when problems arise. Sixty percent of those with service experience say they are confident in their ability to find solutions to problems without giving up, compared with 43% of those who haven't served. That confidence is even higher among those who spend more time serving: 57% of those who served 1-9 hours in the past year are confident in their ability to find solutions without giving up, compared with 71% of those who served 40 or more hours. For caregivers and educators looking to help young people develop resilience, the findings point to the value of meaningful opportunities to contribute and lead. Explore the research and recommendations for creating service experiences that help young people build resilience: https://lnkd.in/eifmRtXx

Employees who use AI most may need greater clarity about what adoption means for them. Gallup research finds that frequent AI users are also the employees with the greatest concern about job displacement. Employees who already use AI regularly may need less guidance on whether to use the technology and more clarity about how it is changing their work, which skills remain central and how their performance will be evaluated. That makes AI adoption a communication challenge as much as a technical one. Managers are well-positioned to help employees understand why AI is being adopted, explain what it means for their team and create opportunities for employees to raise concerns directly. AI adoption and employees’ confidence about what AI means for their future at work are not the same. As organizations increase adoption, managers have an important role in helping employees navigate that uncertainty. Explore what Gallup’s research reveals about the role managers can play in helping employees navigate AI adoption and address uncertainty about the future of their work: https://lnkd.in/ekkYhhDF

How are workers’ concerns about technology changing? And how do Americans feel about AI data centers being built in their area? Explore these trends in this week’s Front Page.

Sometimes, one person can change what someone else believes is possible.  When Operation HOPE CEO John Hope Bryant was 9 years old, a banker visited his classroom and introduced him to entrepreneurship. Bryant credits that encounter with changing the direction of his life.  Decades later, that experience continues to shape how he thinks about developing others. “We’re modeling what we see,” Bryant says. Sometimes seeing a different possibility and having someone encourage you toward it can change your path forward.  Gallup research underscores the importance of development in the workplace: Encouraging someone’s growth can have a meaningful effect on how they connect to their work. Among employees who report having someone at work who encourages their development, less than 1% are actively disengaged.  In the latest episode of Leading With Strengths, Bryant joins Gallup CEO Jon Clifton to discuss the experiences that shaped him and how his CliftonStrengths influence how he develops potential in others.  Watch the full conversation: https://lnkd.in/gPUQPMeU