By Stephen Beech
Students who spend hours on social media are more likely to be lonely, reveals new research.
Just 16 hours a week – or around two hours a day – on social media was linked with higher odds of loneliness, according to the findings.
The research team that conducted the study, involving thousands of 18- to 24-year-olds in the United States, say that academic institutions should encourage student to set social media time limits.
Study leader Dr. Madelyn Hill said: “We know that people who are lonely are more likely to become depressed.
“We also know that those who are lonely are more likely to die early.
“Young adulthood is a time of many changes, from leaving home for the first time, to starting college and forming new friendships, and it is vital that colleges and universities do all they can to help their students forge connections with others.”
Previous studies have found that Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat are young adults’ favorite social media sites.
But other work shows that excessive social media use can leave less time for face-to-face socializing.
However, research on whether this leads to loneliness has produced mixed results.
To address the issue, Dr. Hill and her colleagues analyzed data from 64,988 18- to 24-year-olds at more than 120 US colleges.
Loneliness was measured by asking them how often they felt left out, lacked companionship or felt isolated.
The findings, published in the Journal of American College Health, showed that 54% of the students were lonely – with female and black students were most likely to say they were lonely.
Students doing hybrid courses were less lonely than those studying face-to-face, perhaps because they were still able to see their old friends.
Those who lived at home were lonelier than those with accommodation on campus.
The participants were also asked how many hours they spent on social media in a typical week.
Around one in eight (13%) used social media “excessively” – for at least 16 hours a week and, the more they used it, the higher their odds of feeling lonely.
Those who used it for 16 to 20 hours a week were 19% more likely to say they were lonely than those who didn’t use it at all.
A total of 21 to 25 and 26 to 30 hours a week were linked with a 23% and 34% higher likelihood of loneliness, respectively.
The heaviest social media users – at least 30 hours a week – were 38% more likely to report being lonely.
The research team acknowledged that they can’t be sure if excessive social media use leads to loneliness or vice versa, although they suspect it is a bit of both.
They said some students who use social media may become lonely because they have less time to see friends in person.
Meanwhile, some of those who are lonely may find valuable support online.
But the researchers believe that tackling excessive social media use could lower levels of loneliness.
Study senior author Professor Ashley Merianos, of the University of Cincinnati, said: “These results underscore how widespread loneliness is among college students and highlight that excessive social media use may be replacing the meaningful interactions that protect their mental health.
“A key public health strategy to combat this loneliness epidemic is to strengthen social connections and help students build supportive relationships with their peers offline.”
Dr. Hill, now an Assistant Professor at Ohio University but who led the study while completing her doctoral work at the University of Cincinnati, said: “Academic institutions should educate college students about the potential negative effects of excessive social media use, including loneliness.
“Helping students understand how excessive social media use can affect their well-being may lead to some of them assessing how much time they spend on it.
“They may then cut back on it or even set time limits for themselves.”
She added: “Institutions should also work to encourage students to attend social events on campus.”
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