Paradox of loneliness: Active users on social media are as isolated as passive skullers

A groundbreaking nine years of research reveals troubling truths about social media. Whether you’re actively posting or scrolling, increasing use increases loneliness. Research published in Breaking news on personality and social psychologychallenges the general belief that active engagement on social platforms can help you build meaningful connections.

This study, which tracked nearly 7,000 Dutch adults over nine years, shows that passive social media use (PSMU), including non-interaction browsing, and active social media use including posting and engagement with others. Both (ASMU) were found to be associated with increased. Over time, I feel isolated.

“It appears there is a continuous feedback loop between the two,” says Dr. James A. Roberts, professor of marketing at Baylor University. “Lonely people turn to social media to deal with their emotions, but such social media could simply be used by fans of the Flame of Solitary.”

This discovery creates particularly cruel irony. The very tools designed to connect us may be keeping us even further apart. The researchers found that active engagement on social media platforms not only failed to protect against loneliness, but also showed a stronger association with increased quarantine compared to passive browsing.

The scope and duration of this study are particularly convincing to its findings. 6,965 participants tracked nine data collection waves per year, representing one of the largest and most comprehensive studies of the psychological impacts of social media. The research team employed sophisticated statistical analysis to explain a variety of factors and ensure the robustness of the findings.

One of the most striking findings was the two-way relationship between social media use and loneliness. The study showed that while increasing use of social media increased the sense of loneliness, those who reported feeling lonely were more likely to increase their use of social media.

The implications of these findings are particularly relevant given current public health concerns. Recent data cited in this study shows that feeling isolated from others poses a health risk equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes every day. The study also points out that the current level of loneliness in the United States, which affects 58% of adults, is consistent with pre-pandemic levels.

This study suggests that regardless of how actively involved in these platforms, the quality of digital interactions may not meet the same social needs as face-to-face communication. This raises important questions about how we build our social connections in an increasingly digital world.

Phil D. Young, Graduate Program Director of the Master Business Analytics Program at Baylor University, and associate professor of marketing at Baylor, Dr. Meredith E. David, worked with Roberts on his research. Their findings highlight the need for a more nuanced understanding of how digital interactions affect our social well-being.

As social media continues to evolve and further integrate into everyday life, this study underscores the importance of maintaining meaningful, face-to-face connections. Social platforms provide unprecedented access to online communities, but this study relying on them as the primary source of social interaction has unintended consequences on our emotional well-being It suggests that there is a possibility.

The researchers emphasize that future research should explore potential interventions to break the cycle of loneliness and social media use, and whether these findings are true across different cultural contexts and age groups. I’ll investigate whether it’s.