Creating, Consuming, and Connecting: Examining the Relationship Between Social Media Engagement and Loneliness

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between social media attitudes and behaviors and loneliness among college students. The study looks at the interaction of loneliness with three popular social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), as well as how often those students create and/or consume content within each platform. A survey administered to 432 undergraduates at two universities in the Pacific Northwest identified a significant relationship between social media attitudes and behaviors and offline loneliness. In particular, as students’ affinity for Twitter and Instagram increased, their self-reported loneliness decreased. Similarly, the more they both created and consumed content within Twitter and Instagram, the more reported loneliness decreased. No significant correlations among attitudes, behaviors and loneliness were found for Facebook usage.