The more time you spend staring at your smartphone -- scrolling through Facebook, trolling on Twitter, snapping on Snapchat -- the lonelier you're prone to feel, researchers say. 。
A national study on young adults found that frequent use of social media might be associated with increased feelings of isolation. As anyone with FOMO knows, watching other people's digital lives is an imperfect substitute for real-world interactions. 。
SEE ALSO:I love social media, even if it doesn't love me back。"We are inherently social creatures, but modern life tends to compartmentalize us instead of bringing us together," said Brian Primack, the study's lead author and director of the Center for Research on Media, Technology and Health at the University of Pittsburgh. 。
"While it may seem that social media presents opportunities to fill that social void, I think this study suggests that it may not be the solution people were hoping for," he said in a press release. 。
People play Pokemon Go outside a mall in Bangkok, Thailand. Maybe this counts as hanging out?People play Pokemon Go outside a mall in Bangkok, Thailand. Maybe this counts as hanging out?Credit: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images 。 The study, published Monday in the。American Journal of Preventative Medicine 。
, is the latest attempt to determine how exactly social media use affects our mental health. In 2014, a research review found that some studies say use of "social networking sites" is associated with low-self esteem, especially in children and adolescents. But others say the opposite is true, with social media boosting self-esteem. 。
A big challenge for researchers is knowing which came first: The incessant use of social media, or the sense of social isolation, depression or anxiety. Does social media cause us to feel lonely, or does it just exacerbate feelings that we already have?
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 。
Thanks for signing up!。"Or it could be that their increased use of social media somehow led to feeling isolated from the real world. It also could be a combination of both," she added. 。
Credit: Nicole Santo/UPMC 。
Credit: Nicole Santo/UPMC 。
For the national study, the Pitt researchers in 2014 sampled nearly 1,800 U.S. adults between the ages of 19 and 32. 。
Participants filled out questionnaires to determine how often, and for how long, they used what were then the 11 most popular social media platforms: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine and LinkedIn. 。Controlling for a variety of social and demographic factors, researchers still found that participants who used social media more than two hours a day had twice the odds for perceived social isolation than their peers who spent fewer than 30 minutes a day on social media. 。
Participants who visited various platforms 58 or more times per week had about triple the odds of perceived isolation than people who visited fewer than nine times per week, the study found. 。
You can't escape me.Credit: STEPHEN LAM/Getty Images 。
Primack and his colleagues said much more research is needed to understand the nuances around social media use. But they do have a few theories for how increased social media use could make people feel more socially isolated. 。
Any of this sound familiar?
(责任编辑：百科)
The Weeknd teases new music in Instagram post
Carey Bennett, costume designer for 'The Office,' shares stories from set
Google will make it easier for kids and teens to remove photos from Google search
Meet the designer who makes high
There's a big piece of fake chicken stuck to this phone case
The group behind a growing list of celebrity social media breaches has struck again, this time takin
...[详细]Facebook gets off the hook yet again in FTC antitrust case
The great Facebook breakup, it seems, is not to be. At least not yet. It was only in late December t
...[详细]How to set multiple timers on an Apple Watch
My Apple Watch timer has saved the day several times while I'm cheffing it up in the kitchen. I can
...[详细]Who will die on 'The White Lotus'?
The White Lotus, HBO's excellent satire taking place on a resort in Hawaii, begins with a chilling r
...[详细]Watch MTV's Video Music Awards 2016 livestream
It's MTV Video Music Awards night. Are you ready?Kanye's going to be there, and he's going to say th
...[详细]Delta variant is stoking anger at the unvaccinated. It should.
There's an inflatable punchable clown in my online shopping cart. It's been there since mid-June, wh
...[详细]Dear Marvel: Please Give Us a Full
Welcome toThanks, I Love It, our series highlighting something onscreen we're obsessed with this wee
...[详细]Yes, Facebook really thinks you want to sit in VR meetings
It's been almost two years since the coronavirus pandemic made remote working the norm, yet tech com
...[详细]Olympian celebrates by ordering an intimidating amount of McDonald's
It's no secret that Olympians have to eat clean for years to ensure they're at peak physical conditi
...[详细]'Squid Game' is a pastel nightmare with a lot to say
What if the games you played as a child were deadly?That's the main hook of Squid Game, a South Kore
...[详细]Old lady swatting at a cat ends up in Photoshop battle
How to add a movie to your watchlist on Letterboxd
