Nearly Half of Gen Z Say Social Media’s Hustle Culture Is Damaging Workers, New Survey Finds

As social media increasingly blurs the lines between productivity and overwork, new research from resume.io reveals just how many U.S. workers believe hustle culture content is negatively impacting attitudes toward work.

More than two in five American workers say social media glorifies hustle culture in ways that are damaging to workers, with nearly half of Millennials and Gen Z taking a particularly critical view. 

Key Findings: 

• More than two in five American workers (40.5%) say social media glorifies hustle culture in ways that are damaging to workers.

• Nearly one in five (17.8%) say social media strongly normalizes overworking and burnout.

• Millennials are the most critical, with 48.7% saying social media glorifies hustle culture in ways that harm workers. 

The "day in my life” video has become one of TikTok’s most recognizable content formats, with the #dayinmylife hashtag alone surpassing a staggering 48 billion views on the platform. From 5 a.m. morning routines and elaborate productivity rituals to back-to-back meeting montages, millions of users are being given a carefully curated glimpse into other people’s working lives. 

But while these videos can offer career inspiration and motivation, new research from resume.io suggests that constant exposure to this highly curated productivity content could also be contributing to unrealistic expectations around work. 

Resume.io surveyed American workers to understand how they perceive hustle culture content on social media, finding that more than two in five (40.5%) believe hustle culture is glorified on social media in a way that’s damaging to workers, with nearly one in five (17.8%) saying it strongly normalizes overworking and burnout.  

However, the findings also reveal a more nuanced picture. More than one in four workers (26.7%) described the impact as "mixed,” acknowledging that productivity content can both be damaging and motivating. Just one in seven (14.3%) saw hustle culture content as purely inspirational. 

Gen Z Is the Most Divided Generation  

Gen Z workers appear to have the most complicated relationship with hustle culture content online. 

Nearly half of Gen Z workers (46.8%) believe hustle culture content on social media is damaging to workers, including one in five (20.9%) who say it strongly normalizes overworking and burnout. 

Yet Gen Z was also the most conflicted generation: nearly a third (32.3%) described the impact as both damaging and motivating, the highest rate of any generation. 

Just 6.5% of Gen Z respondents said they had no strong opinion on the topic, compared to 15.1% of millennials, 23% of Gen X and 25.9% of Boomers. 

Millennials Lead the Backlash 

Millennials emerged as the most critical generation when it comes to social media’s influence on workplace culture.  

Nearly half (48.7%) said hustle culture is glorified on social media in ways that harm workers, the highest combined agreement rate of any age group.  

Millennials emerged as the generation most likely to push back against the hustle culture narrative with almost one in four (23.3%) selecting the strongest response, saying it normalizes overwork and burnout. 

Men More Critical of Hustle Culture Than Women 

The research also uncovered a gender divide in how workers perceive hustle culture content. 

Men were more likely than women to say social media glorifies hustle culture in ways that are damaging to workers, with 46.9% selecting one of the two damaging responses compared with 35.3% of women. 

Women, meanwhile, were more likely to describe the impact as mixed, with 31.3% saying hustle culture content can be both damaging and motivating compared with 21.0% of men. 

Women were also somewhat more likely to say they had no strong opinion on the issue (20.4% vs. 16.2%). 

According to Amanda Augustine, a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC), Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), and resident career expert for resume.io: 

“Social media can be a great tool for exploring different career paths, learning from other professionals, and even finding motivation. The problem arises when we start treating someone else’s carefully curated content as a realistic benchmark for our own careers. 

“‘Day in the life’ videos are designed to capture and hold our attention; they don’t necessarily provide a complete picture of someone’s working life. When you’re constantly comparing your ordinary workday to someone else’s highlight reel, it’s easy to develop unrealistic expectations about what it means to be productive or successful.” 

Augustine adds: “The Gen Z findings are particularly interesting because they show that workers can recognize both sides of this content. It can be motivating and useful while still creating pressure to live up to an unrealistic standard. The key is to use social media as one source of career information, rather than treating it as a blueprint for what your working life should look like.” 

Advice for workers navigating hustle culture content 

With this in mind, Augustine offered the following guidance for workers who find themselves comparing their careers to what they see on social media: 

1. Remember that you’re seeing a highlight reel 

“Day in the life” content is edited, curated, and optimized for engagement. You’re seeing what the creator has chosen to show you, not necessarily a complete or representative picture of their workday. 

2. Pay attention to how your feed makes you feel 

If scrolling through productivity content consistently leaves you feeling inadequate rather than informed or inspired, reconsider what you’re consuming. Unfollow or mute accounts that encourage unhealthy comparisons, and seek out content that offers useful, realistic career information. 

3. Don’t use social media as a productivity benchmark 

Use platforms like TikTok and Instagram to explore careers, companies, and professional opportunities, but don’t mistake a 60-second productivity montage for a measure of workplace performance. What matters is whether you’re meeting expectations, producing quality work, developing your skills, and contributing value. 

4. Talk to people who actually work in your target career 

If you’re considering a new career or industry, speak with people who work in it. Mentors, colleagues, and professional contacts can give you a much more realistic picture of the day-to-day experience, including the parts that rarely make it into a social media post. 

5. Focus on sustainable career growth 

Rather than trying to keep up with the productivity standards portrayed on social media, focus on what will genuinely move your career forward: building relevant skills, taking on meaningful projects, expanding your network, and developing work habits that allow you to perform well over the long term. 

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Campaign methodology: This survey was conducted by resume.io in May 2026, gathering insights from 600 full-time U.S. workers. Data recorded: May 2026 

Resume.io, a career.io brand, is an AI-powered resume builder designed to help job seekers create professional resumes and cover letters with ease. With over 30 recruiter-approved templates, AI-driven writing suggestions, and hundreds of job-specific examples, it simplifies the job search process. Users can generate cover letters, tailor resumes to match job descriptions and download their documents in multiple formats, including PDF, Word, and Google Docs. Built for speed and efficiency, resume.io ensures resumes are ATS-friendly and optimized for success. Trusted by millions across 100+ countries, it offers more than just a resume builder–unlocking 18 powerful career tools to help professionals land their next opportunity faster. For more information, visit resume.io or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Amanda Augustine is the resident career expert for Careerminds, resume.io and its suite of brands. As a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC) and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), she has spent more than 20 years helping professionals improve their careers and land the right job sooner. Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook.