A massive national survey finds that more than half of U.S. college students feel lonely, and those who spend the most time on social media are especially at risk. Researchers say campuses can help by teaching digital habits and creating more ways for students to connect offline.
More than half of U.S. college students feel lonely, and those who spend hours a day on social media are especially likely to feel isolated, according to a new national study.
The researchers found that using social media for as little as about two hours a day — 16 hours a week — was linked with higher odds of loneliness among 18- to 24-year-olds. The heaviest users, who spent 30 or more hours a week on social platforms, had the highest likelihood of feeling lonely.
The findings, published in the Journal of American College Health, come from an observational study of 64,988 students at more than 120 colleges across the United States.
Madelyn Hill, an assistant professor at Ohio University who led the research while she was a doctoral student at the University of Cincinnati, emphasized the stakes go far beyond feeling a bit left out.
“We know that people who are lonely are more likely to become depressed. We also know that those who are lonely are more likely to die early,” she said in a news release.
Loneliness on campus
Students in the study answered questions about how often they felt left out, lacked companionship or felt isolated. Based on their responses, 54% were classified as lonely, a figure that matches other other recent U.S. research.
The survey also revealed that loneliness is not spread evenly across campus life. Female and Black students were especially likely to report feeling lonely.
Students’ living and learning arrangements mattered too. Those living at home were lonelier than students in on-campus housing. Members of fraternities and sororities were among the least likely to be lonely, which the researchers suggest may be because they have more built-in opportunities for social events and gatherings.
Interestingly, students in hybrid courses — combining in-person and online learning — were less lonely than those studying entirely face to face. One possible explanation is that hybrid schedules may give students more flexibility to maintain connections with friends from home or other social circles.
How social media fits in
The team also asked students how many hours they spent on social media in a typical week. About 13% reported using social media excessively, defined in this study as at least 16 hours per week.
The more time students spent on social media, the more likely they were to say they felt lonely:
- Students using social media 16-20 hours a week were 19% more likely to report loneliness than those who did not use it at all.
- Using it 21-25 hours a week was linked with a 23% higher likelihood of loneliness.
- Using it 26-30 hours a week was linked with a 34% higher likelihood of loneliness.
- The heaviest users, at 30 or more hours a week, were 38% more likely to report being lonely.
Previous research has shown that Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat are among young adults’ favorite platforms, and that time spent online can crowd out face-to-face socializing. But earlier studies have produced mixed results on whether social media actually causes loneliness.
In this study, the researchers are careful not to claim that social media use directly causes students to feel lonely. Because the research is observational and based on self-reported habits, it cannot prove cause and effect.
The authors note that some students may become lonely because heavy social media use leaves less time and energy for in-person friendships. At the same time, students who already feel lonely may turn to social media to seek support, distraction or a sense of belonging. Some may also underestimate how much time they spend online.
Even with those caveats, the researchers argue that cutting back on excessive social media use could help reduce loneliness for at least some students.
What colleges can do
The study’s authors argue the findings should be a wake-up call for colleges and universities that are already grappling with rising demand for mental health services.
Young adulthood is a period of major transition: leaving home, starting college, navigating new academic pressures and building new social networks. For many students, it is also the first time they are managing their own schedules and technology use without much oversight.
Hill’s work focuses on understanding and improving health behaviors, including social media use, among children and young adults. She argues that campuses have an important role to play in helping students build healthier digital habits.
“Academic institutions should educate college students about the potential negative effects of excessive social media use, including loneliness,” she said. “Helping students understand how excessive social media use can affect their well-being may lead to some of them assessing how much time they spend on it. They may then cut back on it or even set time limits for themselves.”
That kind of education could be built into first-year seminars, residence hall programming, orientation sessions or wellness workshops. Practical strategies might include encouraging students to track their screen time, set app limits, schedule regular phone-free time with friends or designate tech-free zones in dorms and common areas.
Beyond digital habits, the study highlights the importance of giving students more chances to connect in person. The researchers suggest that institutions can help by expanding social events, clubs, peer mentoring and other programs that bring students together across majors and backgrounds.
“Institutions should also work to encourage students to attend social events on campus,” Hill added.
Source: Taylor & Francis Group