Social media is the new way to communicate nowadays. No matter if you talk, post photos, or comment on other people’s post, you are communicating. The problem is that using social media too much can make you feel isolated from the real world.
Social isolation is a health concern that affects more and more people these days. All of us are too busy checking up on Facebook or posting photos on Instagram to really stop and talk to one another, face to face. Since social media became a popular trend, face to face communication between people has declined.
Despite the fact that many people might believe that using social media means they are integrated into society, a new research shows the opposite. Studies show that people who spend a lot of their time on social media platforms tend to feel isolated when compared to those who don’t have an account on social media sites.
Another problem besides feeling isolated is that they might actually have a tendency to self-harm. Many previous studies have shown that there is a strong connection between loneliness and an increased risk of mortality. People who feel isolated might have suicidal thoughts as well.
A new research focuses on finding out the link between social media and the feeling of isolation. Despite the fact that these two contradict themselves, the research shows that spending too much time on social media can make people feel isolated.
This study was led by Dr. Brian A. Primack. When he was asked why he chose this topic, he mentioned that mental health problems are concerning and they are becoming more and more frequent among young adults.
In order to conduct this study, Dr. Primack and his team investigated the behavior of 1,780 adults on social media. All of the participants were aged between 19 and 32. They are from the US. In order to see how much time they spent on these platforms and how they behaved, all of the participants were asked a series of questions.
The findings showed that people who spend more than 2 hours on social media sites were twice more likely to feel isolated when compared to those who spend an hour or less. Despite the fact that the researchers were able to find the link between social media and the feeling of isolation, they mentioned that they did not find a cause and effect relation.
What is your opinion about this study? Do you think that social media can make us feel isolated?
Image source: Pexels
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