The use of technology has made life more isolating. Even though the internet has served as a lifeline, connecting people with family and friends and combating loneliness and isolation, it has also taken the place of in-person relationships. It has been found to increase loneliness and disconnection. Studies have also found that a compulsion to use technology might ultimately harm users and contribute to real-life social isolation. According to a Gallup survey completed in 2023, 17% of US adults feel lonely on a daily basis. This is equivalent to approximately 44 millions individuals. Feeling alone has been linked to adverse health outcomes including heart disease, stroke, cognitive decline and low immunity from disease. Some studies compare social isolation to mortality risks such as smoking. More recent research found links between loneliness and Alzheimer’s disease.
The need for connectivity was never greater than during the darkest months of the pandemic, and technology provided a lifeline during that time. However, life hasn’t been the same since. Many are still dependent on technology to the same degree as they were during the pandemic, leading to a significant decrease in face-to-face interactions.
Loneliness also makes us feel more anxious and depressed as we weather life’s storms without close friends to call for help. Americans’ circles of close friends have shrunk dramatically since the 1990s, according to the Survey Center on American Life. Gallup research estimates more than 300 million people globally don’t have a single friend, and one in five don’t have friends or family they can count on during difficult times. As in-person gatherings became dangerous, those who were able turned to technology in order to stay connected to family and friends (Geirdal et al., 2021). Social media saved us from the complete isolation that the pandemic introduced.
Social science research has found that people have felt lonelier and more isolated. Pandemic measures designed to manage a health crisis have, in many ways, boosted a mental health crisis: the loneliness epidemic.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy released an advisory in 2023 which cites one study linking heavy social media use (more than two hours a day) with loneliness. The American Psychological Association issued guidance last week urging parents to “monitor adolescents for signs of problematic social media use that can impair their ability to engage in daily roles and routines.” For many people, social media has become a compulsive panacea when longing for connection.
Even before the pandemic, problematic internet use was a concern for some. Excessive internet use is only one of many forms of technology compulsion, along with excessive gaming, smartphone, or social media use. When technology takes the place of in-person relationships, it has been found to increase loneliness and disconnection and reduce well-being. It is helpful for online connectivity to supplement in-person relationships, but if relationships are maintained primarily online, they ultimately do not satisfy. High social media use is linked to negative mental health outcomes–especially feelings of well-being.
Despite the fact that overuse of technology may not be adaptive, access to technology is crucial for a sense of cultural competence in today’s world. Continuing to boost ease of access and use for people of all ages is important. Many experts believe that having constant access to technology, specifically smartphones, can prevent us from making personal connections.
For many people, it’s become a habit to reach for a smartphone any time they have a free moment, and this behavior could be making our loneliness worse. A University of Arizona
study supported this idea, finding that smartphone dependence predicted a higher rate of loneliness and depression in young adults. Experts also confirmed that too much social media usage can cause emotional harm. A 2017 study found that heavy social media users were three times more likely to feel socially isolated than casual users.
Social media can also make people feel like they’re missing out on meaningful social events, leading to feelings of exclusion, stress and insecurity. We live in a technology-infused world. All age groups use the internet for many activities. While technology may greatly help lonely people who seek additional connections with close friends, family or colleagues, it can become a detrimental coping strategy when overused. Total absorption in anything is generally not an adaptive coping strategy.
