Social media, a staple of modern life, plays a significant role in connecting individuals across the globe. It allows people to communicate, share, and collaborate, overcoming geographical barriers and fostering relationships. Yet, despite its benefits, a new policy brief from the Joint Research Centre (JRC) suggests that passive use of social media may contribute to feelings of loneliness, particularly among younger users.
The brief, titled Loneliness and Social Media Use in the European Union, offers the first comprehensive European-level analysis of the connection between social media consumption and loneliness. The findings, based on data from the 2022 EU-wide Loneliness Survey (EU-LS), reveal a nuanced relationship where it’s not just the amount of time spent online that matters, but the manner in which social media is used.
The Paradox of Social Media: More Time Online, More Loneliness?
Social media platforms have revolutionized communication, offering instant and interactive connections with friends and family. However, for many, particularly younger generations, this connectivity may come at a cost. In-person interactions have sharply decreased as online engagement increases, prompting concerns about the broader impact of social media on mental health, and loneliness in particular.
The JRC’s analysis highlights a troubling trend among young people: while social media use is widespread, the type of engagement—passive scrolling versus active interaction—plays a crucial role in the emotional outcomes of social media use. The data shows that 34.5% of respondents aged 16-30 spend more than two hours a day on social networking sites, with 26.1% using instant messaging apps for the same amount of time. Furthermore, over a third of young people show patterns indicative of social media addiction, such as neglecting other responsibilities like work or school to engage with social media.
For those aged 31 and above, social media usage was notably lower, suggesting that younger users may be more vulnerable to its potential negative effects.
Passive vs. Active Engagement: The Key to Loneliness
The JRC study highlights an important distinction in how social media affects loneliness. While intensive use of social networking sites for more than two hours per day is linked to a significant increase in loneliness, this effect is primarily seen with passive scrolling—consuming content without actively engaging with others. In contrast, active engagement, such as posting, commenting, or interacting directly with others, does not show the same correlation with loneliness. Similarly, intensive use of instant messaging tools did not appear to contribute to feelings of loneliness.
This finding suggests that the way individuals engage with social media—whether by passively consuming content or actively participating in conversations—matters more than the sheer amount of time spent online.
Policy Implications: What Comes Next?
These findings are timely, particularly as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new initiative in her Political Guidelines for 2024-2029 to explore the broader impacts of social media on the well-being of young people. The JRC’s research provides a critical foundation for this inquiry, focusing on how social media use affects not only loneliness but also mental health and social development.
Moving forward, the JRC will continue its collaboration with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion to further investigate the influence of social media habits on adolescents’ well-being, mental health, and academic performance.
As social media continues to shape our daily lives, understanding its complex effects on mental health is more important than ever. The JRC’s findings suggest that fostering healthier, more meaningful interactions online could help mitigate the loneliness associated with excessive or passive social media use.
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