Ortiz 1

Roberto G. Ortiz

Trishia Briones

English 1302-160

9 October 2022

Does Technology Make Users Lonelier?

Advancement in technology has a positive and negative impact on its users. Before the

beginning of the technology era, communication was challenging and tedious, among other areas

in which technology has significant influence. However, the technology era came with defined

approaches that eased human operations. Paying close attention to internet use, one can argue

that this is among the most influential factors technology offers the human race. Unfortunately,

as much as this privilege improves communication regardless of time or distance, its addiction

exposes users to negative effects like stress. The current essay analyses the connection between

technology use and loneliness, paying special attention to mobile use addictions in response to

whether technology makes its users lonelier. After considering various scholarly arguments, ten

literature references are connected to provide a logical trend and find a correlation between

technology use and loneliness among users. These studies analyze and bring into questions

whether or not there is a direct correlation between stress and internet addiction.

There is a common thread of similarities in response to this question as different authors

believe that technology use has direct effects on the user, whether positive or negative. While

meditating on the role of loneliness concerning internet dependence, Kaibiao et al. argue

behavioral and emotional stress as potential triggers of internet addictions (3). Modern

technology makes life very interesting as people can learn much from the internet.

Unfortunately, many are becoming internet-enslaved people attributed to severe addiction,

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limiting normal/controlled internet use, and exposing many to negative effects like stress and

depression in severe cases. Based on this author, family stress, whether emotional stress or

behavioral anxiety, enhances the victims' urge to use the internet as a way to avoid or forget such

stressors. Arguing from the perception that too much of something is poisonous, such addictions

worsen stress levels to the primary victims and others within such families. In connection with

Kaibiao et al. arguments with a little extension on stress triggers, Daei et al. argue the

relationship between stress and mobile phone addictions from a nomophobia disorder point of

view (Kaibiao et. al 10; Daei et. al 202).

According to Daei et al., nomophobia is a state of socio-psychological disorder that

affects Smartphone users of fears of not having access to such devices (202). Using 320 students’

clustery sampled, the author examined the relationship between Smartphone use and

nomophobia disorder and noted a close correlation between the two. Any thoughts of losing such

connection attributed to limited use of smartphones due to educational demands, and parent

restriction, among other factors, expose such users to stressful situations as they try to weigh out

options that best fit their demands. Unfortunately, even with a defined level of education, the

urge to use smartphones remains well-defined with limited controls, which proves stressful. For

this reason, the author confirms a positive correlation between nomophobia and smartphone use

addictions suggesting possible interventions to curb nomophobia as a potential step in the fight

against internet addictions. Still highlighting how stress contributes to internet overreliance

negatively impacting the users, Lee et al. confirm that some students unconsciously become

internet enslaved, which limits early interventions to address such addictions (1205-1228).

According to Lee et al., there are potential factors that prove as stress triggers exposing

many people to overreliance on mobile phones (1205-1210). Based on these authors, stress
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directly enhances internet use as the victim tries to source a potential approach to handling

escaping stressful events or thoughts. While investigating the relationship between personality

traits, social anxiety, and loneliness with preferences for voice and text messaging on mobile

phones, these authors noted that most unconsciously become calls and message addicts to seek

relief from stressing forms of loneliness. Unfortunately, a habit becomes a disease with time, and

such people become phone addicts such that they can barely spend time without engaging with

their mobile devices, whether texting or calling others. They conclude that technology addictions

do not just come from nowhere but are instead triggered by personal or social stressors leading to

the severe psychological and mental torture of the victim in the long run.

A fascinating overview of this topic is well reflected by the literature references

considered. Although these pieces of literature differ in their arguments on the connection

between media addiction and loneliness, it is evident that, to some significant extent, the two

have a close connection. Starting with an article whose arguments contradict most other literature

conclusions on the relationship between media addiction and loneliness, Patulny refutes that

technology makes its users lonelier (12-15). Based on this author, how one uses the media

determines the outcomes experiences in the long run. If a person uses social media correctly, this

author believes it cannot leave any negative effects like loneliness or stress on the user and vice-

versa. On the same note, Patulny adds that the urge to use social media is primarily connected to

personal interests; thus, one can choose when, why, and the extent of time to spend on media

without letting effects like loneliness govern such moves (3). In a counterattack to Patulny

arguments, Tarver argue that technology makes user lonelier as many remains connected without

connections (3).
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Tarver argues the connection between media addictions and loneliness from the

connection sphere point of view (1-4). Many people get to the internet in search of people to

connect with and make them fully engaged throughout the connecting sessions. Unfortunately,

such expectations may hit a hard wall when the technology users remain connected but barely

find relief or satisfaction during such moments defining loneliness and stress among users. Many

internet users find themselves connected but not in touch with any of their targets, which

enhances anxiety, especially when the urge to chat is very high.

For this reason, Tarver concludes by citing that loneliness does not enable media

addiction (7). On the contrary, over-reliance on media exhausts many users, especially when

their mission to remain connected remains unsatisfied. Such long waits to get a response defines

loneliness in users. Still, the urge to cut media use short remains activated with hopes of getting

media satisfaction, therefore enhancing media use. Tarver offers a different approach to arguing

loneliness concerning media addiction which no other author within the literature utilizes. It is,

however, critical to consider the connection between internet addictions and loneliness from the

majority point of view.

The other user addressing media addiction and loneliness within the literature references

considered in this essay argued it from the cause-effect point of view. Different authors argue

that loneliness amongst users enhances the urge to overreliance on mobile phones among other

media approaches to seek relief. When a person is lonely, the urge to get a potential remedy to

such a feeling/experience remains coined around an exciting thing to the victim. Based on these

authors, mobile addictions is one of the major negative effects of excessive technology use

among people of all ages and gender. However, according to Jafari et al. (3); Daei et al. (202);
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and Dayapoglu et al. (648), age exposes many students to mobile phone addictions attributed to

loneliness experienced as they try to manage their daily experiences.

Dayapoglu et al. analyzed the problematic use of mobile phones concerning life

satisfaction, academic performance, and loneliness using a slightly different approach to confirm

the connection between loneliness and internet use addictions (647-652). Using the problematic

mobile phone use scale, life satisfaction scale, and UCLA loneliness scale on 274 female and 79

male nursing students, the authors noted a direct correlation between mobile phone addiction and

loneliness amongst students. The authors noted that problematic mobile phone use is positively

associated with loneliness. Paying close attention to foster parents, these authors confirmed that

lower life satisfaction, greater loneliness, and lower academic performances serve as potential

triggers of more problematic mobile phone use, exposing such a target to a challenging life.

Life has become very easy, especially in terms of co-existence, where technology

enhances communication in an excellent manner. However, humans have become technology-

enslaved people with many fighting depressions attributed to media addictions. Based on

literature references considered in this essay, it has become apparent that mobile addiction is a

trending disorder interfering with technology users’ well-being. Loneliness is among the major

causes of media addictions as victims try to source interesting remedies to their boring moods.

Unfortunately, over-reliance on media worsens their conditions as they become media addicts, a

severe disorder that demands the right interventions to address. Stress is another potential trigger

of media addictions. People try different ways to fight or control stress levels, with most

embracing media use as a potential remedy. Unfortunately, instead of fighting it, a media

addiction defines new forms of stress for the victim worsening the situation defined by limited

controls over such addictions.

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Works Cited

Álvarez-García, David, et al. "Individual, Family, and Community Predictors of Cyber-

Aggression among Adolescents." The European Journal of Psychology Applied to Legal

Context, vol. 10, no. 2, 2018, pp. 79–88. https://doi.org/10.5093/ejpalc2018a8. 

Daei, Azra, et al. "Nomophobia and Health Hazards: Smartphone Use and Addiction among

University Students." International Journal of Preventive Medicine, vol. 10, no. 1, 2019,

pp. 202–202. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_184_19.  

Dayapoglu, Nuray, et al. “The Relationship between the Problematic Mobile Phone Use and

Life Satisfaction, Loneliness, and Academic Performance in Nursing Students.”

International Journal of Caring Sciences, vol. 9, no. 2, 2016, pp. 647–652. 

Jafari, Hale, et al. "The Relationship between Addiction to Mobile Phone and Sense of

Loneliness among Students of Medical Sciences in Kermanshah, Iran." Bmc Research

Notes, vol. 12, no. 1, 2019, pp. 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-019-4728-8.

Accessed 6 Oct. 2022. 

Kaibiao Xiang, et al. “The Relationship between Family Stress and Internet Dependence:

The Mediating Role of Loneliness—Empirical Analysis Based on Cgss2017.” Discrete

Dynamics in Nature and Society, vol. 2022, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/4878267. 

Lee, Suyin, et al. "Mobile Phone Usage Preferences: The Contributing Factors of Personality,

Social Anxiety and Loneliness." Social Indicators Research: An International and

Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-Of-Life Measurement, vol. 118, no. 3, 2014, pp.

1205–1228. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0460-2.  
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Lu, Guang-Li, et al. “The Correlation between Mobile Phone Addiction and Coping Style

among Chinese Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis.” Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and

Mental Health, vol. 15, no. 1, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-021-00413-2.

Accessed 6 Oct. 2022. 

Mehmet Utku Tohumcu et al. "Analysis of the Relationship between Smartphone Addiction and

Internet Addiction and Self-Esteem and Loneliness." Trakya Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler

Dergisi, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 773–787. https://doi.org/10.26468/trakyasobed.545391.

Accessed 6 Oct. 2022. 

Patulny, Roger. “Does Social Media Make Us More or Less Lonely? Depends on How You

Use It.” The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2020, theconversation.com/does-social-media-make-

us-more-or-less-lonely-depends-on-how-you-use-it-128468. 

Tarver, Helen. “Connected without Connection: Technology Makes Us More Alone.” The

Roots of Loneliness Project, 3 Mar. 2020, www.rootsofloneliness.com/does-technology-

make-us-more-alone.