Major college study links heavy social media use with higher odds of loneliness

Using social media for two hours a day does not seem like that much. It happens between classes, with a few scrolls on your lunch break and a little time before bed. However, based on data from a national survey of more than 65,000 college students in the United States, students who use social media for at least 16 hours per week have reported higher levels of loneliness than those who do not use it at all.

More than half of the college students who participated in the survey (54.1%) were classified as “lonely.” Loneliness was defined by how often students reported feeling “left out,” lacking companionship, or regularly feeling isolated. The researchers also found that the relationship between social media use and loneliness remained significant after controlling for race or ethnicity, course type, living situation, and affiliation with fraternities or sororities.

Dr. Madelyn Hill, an assistant professor at Ohio University, conducted the research while completing her doctorate at the University of Cincinnati’s School of Human Services. “People who are lonely tend to suffer from depression, and people who suffer from depression tend to die sooner,” Hill said.

A national survey is a simple way to gather large amounts of data. The researchers used the 2022–2023 American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment, an online cross-sectional survey administered to volunteer U.S. college students.

According to a report published by the Institute for Higher Education Policy, a national nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC, that provides research and analysis for institutions of higher education, statistics were collected from 114,829 undergraduate students.

Of all the undergraduate students surveyed, 64,988 were between the ages of 18 and 24 and attended four-year institutions.

Students were asked one simple question regarding their use of social media: on average, how many hours per week did they use it? Students were given seven options ranging from 0 hours to 30 or more hours. A cutoff point was made to identify those who used social media excessively, defined as 16 or more hours per week, or approximately two hours per day.

The number of students who used social media excessively was not small. Approximately 13.2% used it excessively, and 5.1% did not use it at all. The average age of students who responded to the survey was 19.9 years, and the majority were full-time students. Most students responding to the survey, approximately 72%, were female, and 56.9% identified as non-Hispanic White.

The measure of loneliness was created from responses to three questions: how often students felt that they did not have a friend, felt left out of things, or felt isolated from others. Students could respond to the three questions as “often,” “sometimes,” or “hardly ever.” The total number of students responding to each question was then divided into two categories: negative for loneliness or positive for loneliness.

The study examined the likelihood of students experiencing feelings of loneliness based on demographic characteristics, as well as the students’ place of residence. The results of the study produced several clusters of students that should resonate with many people on college campuses, but for different and complex reasons.

Females were more likely to report being lonely than males. Non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, non-Hispanic Asian, and non-Hispanic Other or multiracial students were more likely to report being lonely than non-Hispanic White students.

Place of residence was also a predictor of loneliness. Students living at home with family were more likely to report being lonely than students living on campus. Students who lived off campus had lower odds of experiencing loneliness than their peers living on campus. Hybrid course offerings were associated with lower odds of experiencing loneliness compared to fully in-person courses. Students who participated in the Greek system were less likely to experience loneliness than students who did not.

These associations are important because they help define where loneliness occurs and how colleges can provide assistance to alleviate loneliness in students. Hill views young adulthood as a transitional time filled with numerous changes and opportunities for connection with new friends. Therefore, colleges and universities have an obligation to provide students with connection opportunities, which can aid in their adjustment to college and to being independent adults.

The results from this study and prior research provide a clear illustration of the connection between increased time spent on social media and increased feelings of loneliness.

The most striking finding was the direct relationship between the amount of time a student spent on social media and the likelihood of that student reporting feeling lonely.

Even after taking demographic and college-related factors into consideration, students who reported spending 16 to 20 hours on social media per week were 19% more likely to report feeling lonely than students who reported spending no time on social media at all.

Interestingly, students who used social media less than 16 hours per week were not more likely to experience loneliness than their peers in an adjusted model. This difference may point to a threshold rather than a continuum from fine to lonely. However, this study did not pinpoint where that threshold may be.

In addition, the authors also approached this question by looking at how many students fell into different categories of loneliness based on percentages of usage. Of students who had positive scores for loneliness, 14.4% reported excessive use versus 11.8% of students who were negative for loneliness.

However, there is an important caveat with this study. It was cross-sectional, which means it provides a snapshot in time. Therefore, it cannot answer the important question that many students and parents have: is heavy social media use a cause of loneliness for students, or do students who are lonely spend more time on social media?

The authors suggested that both may be the case and that the data do not preclude either direction. One option may be displacement, meaning that as students spend more time on social media, they have less time for in-person interaction. The other explanation may be that some lonely students use social media for support or connection and form real relationships with those they interact with.

In addition, this study relied on self-reported time usage. Students may underestimate how long they have been scrolling. The survey only asked how many hours students spent on social media each week. Therefore, it did not distinguish between time spent in short bursts throughout the day compared to having one long session in the evening.

Also, the survey did not ask what platforms students were using, whether they were passively consuming content or actively messaging friends, or what the purpose of their usage was. This detailed information is important. The authors recommended that future research gather this type of information through more precise methods, including the use of smartphone screen-time measures and real-time monitoring.

Authors found that it is imperative for colleges to consider excessive use of social media as a modifiable behavior related to an overall epidemic of loneliness among college students.

According to Dr. Ashley L. Merianos, MSW, Ph.D., of the University of Cincinnati and the lead author of the paper, “These findings illustrate that the epidemic of loneliness among college students is widespread and may be partially attributed to the replacement of meaningful face-to-face interaction by excessive use of social media. A significant public health response to the epidemic of loneliness is the need to establish social connections and support among peers in person.”

Dr. Hill also commented specifically on the role that academic institutions have. “It is important for academic institutions to educate students about the potential negative impacts of excessive social media use, including the potential to develop loneliness,” Hill stated.

She suggested that through increased awareness, some students may be able to evaluate their own usage habits and set time limits or reduce their time spent online. At the same time, institutions can increase access to opportunities for attaining social connection and interacting with others in person through events or by creating social spaces.

Finally, while this study cannot determine whether social media is the villain of college life, it does indicate that once students reach a certain level of usage, more than two hours per day, they are generally more likely to report loneliness compared to their peers.

For students who are experiencing loneliness and isolation, this study serves as a signal that they should consider looking up from their phone or computer, getting outside, and spending time with close friends to see whether off-screen connections feel different from on-screen connections.

Research findings are available online in the Journal of American College Health.

The original story "Major college study links heavy social media use with higher odds of loneliness" is published in The Brighter Side of News.

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