Social Media Can Lead To Increased Feelings Of Isolation, According To Science

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Social media pervades every aspect of our lives, but that may not be a good thing.

According to new research, the platforms that are designed to bring people together can actually have the exact opposite effect.

Dr. Brian Primack and his team at the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Research on Media, Technology, and Health found that the most avid users of social media are twice as likely to feel socially isolated than those who use the platforms less frequently.

1,800 individuals between the ages of 19 and 32 participated in the study with a 20-minute online questionnaire in 2014. The platforms examined in the research were Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Vine, Snapchat, and Reddit.

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The gender breakdown of the group was even and more than half of the sample was white.

According to Primack, “Compared with those in the lowest quarter for frequently checking social media, people in the top quarter were about three times as likely to have increased social isolation.”

One question that remains unclear is whether the sentiment of isolation was caused by the social media use or the feeling of isolation led to heavier use of networking platforms.

Nevertheless, it’s not the first time research has surfaced suggesting social media can negatively impact the lives of users.

According to research released earlier this year, more frequent activity on Facebook, undoubtedly the most dominant social platform, was correlated with lower physical and mental health, life satisfaction, body mass index and overall well-being. The study of 5,028 individuals found that those who posted more frequently to Facebook reported worse mental health compared to their counterparts who didn’t post as much. The same relationship applied to “liking” behavior on the site.

A study focusing on 10- to 15-year-olds released last year found that spending only an hour on social media decreased the level of satisfaction individuals had with their lives.

In line with the findings, research from Denmark’s Happiness Research Institute in 2015 found that eliminating Facebook from your daily routine could actually make you happier.