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📱 Students Who Spend Hours on Social Media Are More Likely to Feel Lonely

That's the conclusion of a large health survey involving 65,000 students from 120 U.S. colleges and universities. Students who spent more time on social media were significantly more likely to feel socially disconnected, overlooked, and isolated.

👨 Compared to students who rarely use social media, those who spend 2–3 hours a day on it are 19% more likely to report feeling lonely. For students who scroll for more than 4.5 hours daily, that risk rises to 38%.

Interestingly, students attending classes fully in person reported higher levels of loneliness than those in hybrid programs. One possible explanation is that online classes give students more time to stay connected with friends from high school.

Among full-time on-campus students, living in campus housing and actively participating in student organizations significantly reduced the risk of social isolation.

❓ The researchers caution that it's still unclear what the cause is and what the effect is. It is possible that students who already feel lonely may turn to social media for connection. Or, heavy social media use could be replacing real-life interaction and exacerbating feelings of isolation.

What do you think—social media:

🔥 — Makes people lonelier
❤️ — Helps people feel less alone

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