The research article by Pittman and Reich found that using image-based social media is connected to a decrease in self-reported loneliness. However, I have to disagree. There have been too many times where I personally go on social media and see my friends having fun with other people, and I feel a sense of rejection and FOMO. I think, more than anything, social media can make people feel like they are being left out of their friend groups, leading to an increase, and not a decrease, in loneliness. Obviously, it depends on the person, but that is just my personal experience.
One Reply to “Loneliness and social media”
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That’s a great point. Yes, doesn’t social media sometimes show to us what we don’t have, rather than console us with it?
So where do you think the flaws in Pittman and Reich might be? Their evidence seems fairly clear…but how could one explain their results?