Research Finds College Student Loneliness Tied to Heavy Social Media Usage

Research Finds College Student Loneliness Tied to Heavy Social Media Usage

Was research really necessary to learn this? It seems like it would just be common sense.

The College Fix reports:

Heavy social media use linked with loneliness in college students, new research finds

College students frequently engage with social media to see what family, friends, and the community are up to. While this might seem like a great way to feel connected, a new study found just the opposite.

Excessive social media use among college students is strongly associated with self‑reported feelings of loneliness and isolation, a University of Cincinnati study has found.

“Despite the intention of social connection, social media platforms may not provide college students with the necessary social fulfillment to combat loneliness,” the study found.

Published in February in the Journal of American College Health, the study had crunched the social media use data of 64,988 students ages 18 to 24 at more than 120 four-year universities.

The results? “Students who used social media at least 16 hours a week — averaging more than two hours a day — had significantly higher odds of reporting loneliness,” a news release from the university stated.

One key reason why social media use is linked to increased loneliness is because it has replaced real, face-to-face interaction in many cases, said University of Cincinnati health promotion and education Professor Rebecca Vidourek, a co-author of the study.

“Social media is used as a substitute for human interaction rather than a supplement,” Vidourek told The College Fix. “That can contribute to feelings of isolation and loneliness.”

She also said cyberbullying or other forms of online abuse can lead to feelings of loneliness or isolation. What’s more, the professor added, social media use is linked to “Fear of Missing Out.”

“[T]he more an adolescent or college student compares themselves to idealized social media posts, the worse the loneliness and depression can be,”  Vidourek told The Fix.

The odds of loneliness increased with more time online, the researchers also found.

Up to 20 hours per week was linked with a 19 percent higher likelihood of loneliness; up to 25 hours a week saw a 23 percent increase in loneliness; and students using social media for 30 or more hours per week were nearly 38 percent more likely to report loneliness, according to the study results.

Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.