Over 75% of young men are worried about the impact of social media on their health, according to new research.

The research, conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Goat Agency, highlighted that 66% of young men felt social media can become a positive place for young people.

It found that 17% of respondents would trust an influencer for advice about their mental health, while 50% of respondents would seek advice from a GP or their friends.

The research surveyed 4000 young men aged 18-34 in the UK and US.

It revealed that 10% of young men in the UK have sought out external and professional help because of their experiences on social media.

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However, the study also showed young men were trying to make social media a safer place for themselves.

Goat Agency head of marketing Joanna Hughston said: “Historically, much of the discussion around social media and its impact on mental health focuses on young women and girls. Even the stereotypical image of an ‘influencer’ is usually a conventionally attractive, 20-something-year-old woman.

“With this research, we wanted to understand how young men are engaging with and being impacted by social media influencers, especially as over the past few years when the conversation around male influencers does arise, it tends to focus on negative connotations.”

She added: “We wanted to understand if this is the reality of young men across social media and ask ourselves, ‘Are we accurately representing young men’s experiences, especially when it comes to the type of content or influence, they’re looking to engage with?’. We found that the story is not straightforward, and we want to shine a spotlight on this, as well as help brands understand how to better reach this audience.”