As the clock nears midnight, a buzzing phone signals another task for social media brand account managers—a client message, a comment needing a response, or a fleeting trend that demands attention before morning. For those steering brand identities online, the workday seems never-ending.
We are researchers focused on digital and social media wellness, educating future social media professionals. Our recent study, published in September 2025, involved interviews with marketers across the United States, Ireland, India, Germany, and Australia. We discovered a passion-filled yet exhausted workforce, where creativity clashes with the relentless demands of a job that rarely pauses.
Data underscores this reality. Industry research shows that over 40% of social media marketers intend to exit their roles within two years. Additionally, almost half report inadequate mental health support from their supervisors.
The Ever-Present Work Environment
While stress is common in many jobs, social media marketing presents unique challenges. The platform is not just a workspace but also a tool and a leisure space. The very apps used for content creation, engagement monitoring, and customer interaction also serve as sources of entertainment and news, leaving marketers with little room to escape the stressors.
Time investment is significant as well. Global statistics indicate that the average individual spends 2.5 hours daily on social media. However, marketers often double or triple this duration since they generate and consume content.
“It is truly 24/7, 365. You have to post on holidays, weekends,” one manager noted, emphasizing the constant pressure. The industry’s strain is evident, illustrated by Zaria Parvez, Duolingo’s social media manager, who openly discussed her struggles with virality, anxiety, and mental health upon leaving her role. Burnout is increasingly recognized as inherent to the profession, even in industry guides.
Heavy social media usage has long been linked to anxiety, lower self-esteem, and reduced well-being, typically viewed as consumer issues. But if the job entails constant scrolling, how can one take the standard advice to take a digital break? For many, the paycheck depends on it.
The Comparison Trap and Technology Paradox
Our study identified two significant burnout drivers. First is the comparison trap. To remain relevant, marketers spend evenings “doom scrolling” through personal feeds, hunting trends for work. The distinction between leisure and labor blurs, alongside the lines between watching other creators and self-assessment.
One marketer described scrolling as “constantly being told I was doing things wrong”—whether comparing work posts to competitors or feeling inadequate at home due to lifestyle content. Social comparison is a well-documented self-esteem eroder, affecting these professionals both personally and professionally.
The second force is the paradox of tools. Technology is often the remedy, with tools like scheduling platforms and AI drafting captions and reports. These aids are helpful—one interviewee referred to them as “the primary method for social media managers to combat burnout”—but they come with caveats.
Scheduled posts can clash with unexpected news events, necessitating constant monitoring. Algorithms favor fresh interactions, raising concerns that AI reliance may render content robotic. These tools offer efficiency, yet the “always-on” expectation persists.
Beyond Individual Willpower
It’s tempting to attribute these issues to poor screen-time management, yet our research indicates otherwise. Marketers’ roles often combine strategy, design, customer service, and crisis management into one vaguely defined position. Taking breaks directly impacts metrics used to evaluate their performance.
This is also a cultural issue. In the U.S., constant availability is seen as job dedication, but countries like France, Italy, Spain, and Ireland have enacted a “right to disconnect,” with Australia extending similar rights to small business employees.
Our team member, Kiley Pettit, has navigated these challenges firsthand, working across various time zones with extended workdays, blurring the boundaries between work and personal life.
Solutions for Burnout
Our research suggests two potential solutions for marketers facing burnout. First, experimentation is key: Disconnection is personal; what recharges one may not suit another. Some may benefit from drastic breaks, while others might prefer minor adjustments like specific response hours or client boundary scripts.
Second, technology should be used deliberately: Schedule content in advance rather than chasing real-time trends and employ AI for routine tasks, preserving their creative role.
Nevertheless, individual habits and technological solutions are not enough. Burnout is inherent to the job, necessitating structural changes.
Employers must clearly define social media roles, reasonably allocate staff, establish communication norms with realistic response times, and normalize discussions about digital fatigue during check-ins. Given that turnover costs range from half to twice an employee’s salary, supporting these professionals is both sensible and necessary.
Social media marketing burnout is not a personal shortcoming or typical job stress. It is the foreseeable outcome of a workplace where professional, tool-related, and leisure activities merge. The brands benefiting from this exposure, and the employers hiring for it, must determine if those behind the screens are permitted to disconnect.
