Year: 2019
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Social media is a platform which allows individuals maintain relationships, although, persistent use may create an atmosphere where people use it to substitute traditional social interactions. Social media use has been suggested to impact psychological welfare, with studies suggesting a negative relationship with self-esteem. The existing literature surrounding the influence of social media on loneliness and social isolation is somewhat sparse and contains conflicting findings. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between frequency of social media use, age, social isolation and loneliness in an adult population. The study used a quantitative cross-sectional design. A convenience sample of 161 participants (68.9% female; M(age) = 31.16; SD = 13.20) were recruited. Participants completed an online questionnaire that included demographic questions, measures of frequency of social media use, UCLA Loneliness Scale and Lubben Social Network Scale. A Spearman’s Rho analysis indicated that there was a significant moderate negative correlation between age and frequent social media use (p < .001). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that, after controlling for the effects of age, time spent on social media was a significant predictor of loneliness (p = .006) but did not significantly predict social isolation. The findings suggest that frequent social media use is associated with higher levels of loneliness; further research is required to establish the direction of this relationship.
Source: NORMA
Author: Emma L. Doolan
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2947956796