Some 43% of social media users are struggling to control the amount of time they are spending online, with 14% describing themselves as addicts and another 29% saying they think they may be addicted, an RTL news panel survey has shown.

Among the 18 to 35 age group, some 60% said they are having trouble controlling the time they spend on social media.

Two third of those experiencing problems said they wanted to limit the time they spend online. Some 27% said they had tried to wean themselves off social media. Some 4% said they had stopped but could not keep it up and one in five said they had never tried to curb their use but would like to.

“I am wasting too much time on them. I am winding it down, and I already get more done and my mood has improved,” one respondent said.

The survey comes a day ahead of the start of Mei Social Vrij, the second edition of a campaign to encourage people to quit social media use for a month. Last year, some 1,500 people signed up.

Of the 120 people who participated in a subsequent survey, 6% said they had not managed to last the month, while 30% said they had not been able to ignore the platforms completely.

However, 64% did manage, and half of them said it had been easier than expected.

Four in 10 respondents in the RTL survey spend a minimum of an hour on social media per day.  Another 42% spend one to three hours. One in eight look at social media for over three hours a day.

Although many people struggle with social media, 42% said they are a positive influence on their lives, compared to 27% who said they are detrimental.