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Social Media and Loneliness

Feiyan Li

University of Houston

HDFS 2320: Research Methods in Human Development and Family Sciences

Dr. Amber Kamdar-Sharif

March 29th, 2024

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In today's digital age, social media has become an important part of our lives, particularly

for young adults and students. While social media platforms offer many opportunities for making

new connections and communication, there is starting to be more concern about the impact they

have on loneliness. This is especially concerning for those international students who are living

away from home or in unfamiliar environments, such as college dorm rooms. This paper will go

over the relationship between social media use and how it impacts loneliness among

international students as well as students that are now living away from their families for the first

time.

Social media and loneliness have a complicated relationship in regards to whether social

media makes a person lonelier or if it helps soothe someone’s loneliness. On one hand, social

media is designed to facilitate social connections and interactions. This can often help to soothe

feelings of loneliness for those who are separated from their loved ones and family

environments. Some research will say that, "Social media may facilitate social contact to a

degree" (Bonsaksen, 2023). However, the same research will also say that "they may not

facilitate the type of contact sought by those who use social media primarily for maintaining

contact with others." (Bonsaksen, 2023). This is further discussed in an article which states,

"Socially anxious (SA) and lonely (LO) individuals use social media to compensate for lacking

in-person relationships. SA and LO individuals do not necessarily receive the support they seek

online" (O’day, 2021). Much of the research suggests that while social media may provide a

sense of connection, it may not necessarily fulfill a person’s longing and need for more types of

meaningful and deeper relationships. This can often leave people feeling not satisfied and it

might even increase the feelings of loneliness for those people.

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Other recent research will have the opinion that the impact of social media on loneliness

may depend on an individual's motives for using social media. It also depends on their specific

patterns of uses. Some research will show that "The finding suggests that people whose motive

for using social media is for maintaining their relationships with other people feel lonelier than

those who spend the same amount of time on social media, but who do it for other reasons".

(Bonsaksen, 2023). Additionally, research will state, "There is additional support to indicate that

greater activity across social media platforms and greater social connectedness online are

associated with lesser loneliness, highlighting that the nature of one's engagement online and

across platforms is indicative of the relationship between one's SMU and experiences of

loneliness" (O’day, 2021). These findings suggest that individuals who use social media

primarily to maintain their existing relationships or to engage in passive scrolling may be more at

risk for developing feelings of loneliness. But the people who actively engage and interact across

multiple online social media platforms may experience a reduction in loneliness. Most of the

research does not specifically address the experiences of international students or those living

away from home in other countries, but the findings can be applied to these populations as well

as many others. International students often face unique challenges in forming and maintaining

social connections in unfamiliar environments. International students and those living away

from home may be more inclined to use social media as a means of staying connected with their

families, friends, and familiar communities back home. “All international students actively

engaged with their home network, emphasizing social media's role in home connectedness.”

(Chen, 2022) While this can provide a sense of comfort and belonging, the research suggests that

relying on social media as the only means of maintaining relationships may not be enough and

could potentially help contribute to worsening feelings of loneliness. On the other hand, actively
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engaging with new social circles and communities through social media platforms could help

alleviate loneliness for these students by creating and maintaining new connections and a sense

of belonging in their new environments.

The implications from much of the recent research on this topic has several propositions

for addressing loneliness among international students and those students that are living away

from home. The first suggestion would be to encourage a more balanced type of social media

use. While social media can be a useful tool for maintaining connections, it is essential to

maintain a balance between online and in-person interactions. Students should be encouraged to

engage in face-to-face social types of activities and try to build meaningful relationships within

their new communities. Another suggestion would be to promote active engagement in social

circles. Rather than sitting for hours by oneself passively scrolling or consuming worthless

content, students that are feeling lonely should be encouraged to actively participate, share their

thoughts and opinions, and interact with others on social media platforms. This type of active

engagement in social media may create a greater sense of connection and belonging and is a way

to make new friends that live all around the world. Educational institutions can start providing

more resources for support. These institutions as well as support services should understand the

potential negative impact that social media can have on loneliness and they can provide

resources and counseling services to help students that are lonely develop healthy coping skills

and build a strong network of friends and people who can offer their support. These institutions

can provide materials to help educate others about the different cultures that the international

students at those places have come from. For many international students, social media and

online networking can be a valuable tool for learning about and connecting with the local culture
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and traditions where they are now living. Institutions should encourage cross-cultural exchange

and understanding through social media platforms and other online platforms.

The research that has been done on this topic has shed some light on the complex

relationship between social media use and loneliness especially for international students and

those living in other countries that are far away from home. While social media offers

opportunities for connection, the motives and patterns of use can significantly impact feelings of

loneliness either in a positive way or sometimes in a negative way. By promoting balanced,

active engagement and providing more support resources, educational institutions and these

support services can help decrease the potential negative impacts of social media use on

loneliness for these vulnerable students.

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References

1.) Bonsaksen, T., Ruffolo, M., Price, D., Leung, J., Thygesen, H., Lamph, G., Kabelenga, I.,

& Geirdal, A. Ø. (2023). Associations between social media use and loneliness in a cross-

national population: do motives for social media use matter?. Health psychology and

behavioral medicine, 11(1), 2158089. https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2022.2158089

2.) Bonsaksen, T., Ruffolo, M., Leung, J., Price, D., Thygesen, H., Schoultz, M., & Geirdal,

A. Ø. (2021). Loneliness and Its Association With Social Media Use During the COVID-

19 Outbreak. Social Media + Society, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051211033821

3.) Chen, A., Fan, T., & Toma, C. (2022, July 30). International students’ psychosocial well-

being and social media use at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: A latent profile

analysis. Computers in Human Behavior.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S074756322200231X

4.) Gharani, P., Ray, S., Aruru, M., & Pyne, S. (2021). Differential Patterns of Social Media

Use Associated with Loneliness and Health Outcomes in Selected Socioeconomic

Groups. Journal of technology in behavioral science, 6(3), 535–544.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-021-00208-4

5.) Hemberg, Jessica, Käcko, Emelie (2024) The double-sided coin of loneliness and social

media – young adults’ experiences and perceptions, International Journal of Adolescence

and Youth, 29:1, DOI: 10.1080/02673843.2024.2306889

6.) Mao, J., & Fu, G. (2023, January 23). The double-edged sword effects of active social

media use on loneliness: The roles of interpersonal satisfaction and fear of missing out.
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Frontiers.https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/

fpsyg.2023.1108467/full

7.) O’day, Emily, Heimberg, R., & AbstractBackground. (2021, March 4). Social media use,

social anxiety, and loneliness: A systematic review. Computers in Human Behavior

Reports. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S245195882100018X

8.) Silard, Anthony. (2021, June 14). How social media exploits our loneliness. Psychology

Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-art-living-free/202106/how-social-

media-exploits-our-loneliness