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Social Media Doesn’t Strengthen Your Friendships. What Works
A study of more than 1,500 adults found that online ties with strangers were linked to loneliness, while close online contacts were not.
- On Wednesday, a study in Public Health Reports found that social media does not strengthen friendships and may increase loneliness, particularly when users connect with strangers online. Professor Brian Primack of Oregon State University led the research.
- The 2023 Surgeon General Vivek Murthy report labeled loneliness a national epidemic, with health risks comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes daily. Primack's team focused on adults aged 30 to 70, who comprise 75% of the U.S. population.
- Surveying over 1,500 Americans, researchers noted that around 35% of social media contacts were strangers. Study co-author Professor Jessica Gorman added that online interactions cause "idealization of other people's friendships," exacerbating social comparison effects.
- Melissa Greenberg, a clinical psychologist at Princeton Psychotherapy Center, suggests prioritizing offline activities like fitness classes to build genuine connections. She advises asking open-ended questions such as "what did you do this weekend?" to spark meaningful conversation.
- While passive social media scrolling correlates with anxiety, active engagement like messaging remains less harmful, Greenberg noted. Primack concluded that people should prioritize in-person interactions, as connecting with friends online is "just not the same" as face-to-face contact.
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Social media friends don’t help overcome loneliness: study
The new research is a step toward filling a knowledge "gap" regarding social media’s role in loneliness.
·Missoula, United States
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Social media promise connection, but the opposite can be the case. A new study shows that the exchange with unknown people strengthens the feeling of isolation. The health consequences are as serious as that of daily smoking.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources36
Leaning Left5Leaning Right6Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 23%
C 50%
R 27%
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