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Psychology Frequent Facebook use causes a strong sense of isolation
Many people today use so-called social media platforms to connect with others through postings and likes. Researchers now found that using social media platforms increases the likelihood of being isolated from society.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Research on Media, Technology and Health found that using social media platforms could increase their sense of isolation. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "American Journal of Preventive Medicine".
Do you spend a lot of time on so-called social media platforms? If so, you may be at increased risk for social isolation. (Image: Cybrain / fotolia.com) What do we mean by social isolation??
So-called social isolation is defined by a lack of affiliation, true engagement with other people, and lack of fulfilled interpersonal relationships. Previous research has already found that social isolation is associated with an increased risk of illness and death, the experts explain.
Young adults are particularly at risk
Mental problems and social isolation have now grown to epidemic levels among young adults, study author Dr. Brian Primack from the University of Pittsburgh. It may be that increased social media use in some people helps alleviate feelings of social isolation. For young adults, however, just such a use can seem to have the opposite effect because it limits real interaction with other people, the doctors add.
Many people are unrealistic on social media platforms
In addition, social media can give those affected the impression that other people lead a much happier life. One reason for this could be that these individuals are often unrealistic on-line, the researchers explain further.
Physicians are studying the impact of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
To determine how the use of social media is linked to the sense of social isolation, the physicians used questionnaires from more than 1,700 American adults aged 19 to 32 in their study. Through the questionnaires, the experts then tried to assess how socially isolated those affected felt and how often these people used eleven different popular social media platforms. These included, for example, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Subjects spent about an hour on average every day on social media
On average, participants spent just over an hour (61 minutes) on so-called social media platforms every day. The median was about 30 times a week. Just over a quarter (27 percent) of the subjects reported a high degree of social isolation. Increased use of social media could, according to the researchers, be associated with heightened feelings of social isolation.
Strong users were twice as vulnerable
Compared to subjects in the study who spent less than 30 minutes a day on social media, strong users (more than two hours a day) of such platforms were about twice as likely to develop a sense of high levels of social isolation, they say Scientist. When subjects use the social media platforms more than 58 times a week, they are three times as likely to feel a sense of high levels of social isolation compared to those who control their social media accounts less than nine times a week.
However, it's still unclear what came first - either the use of social media or perceived social isolation, says Professor Elizabeth Miller of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Social media platforms do not alleviate existing social isolation
It is possible that young adults initially felt socially isolated before participating in social media. However, it may also be that, for some reason, the increased use of social media leads to those affected feeling isolated from the real world, the scientists speculate. Of course, it could also be a combination of both situations, adds the professor. But even if the social isolation was created first, it did not seem to be eased by the time spent on social media platforms. (As)