January 2023 PMID 36618890

Associations between social media use and loneliness in a cross-national population: do motives for social media use matter?

Tore Bonsaksen, Mary Ruffolo, Daicia Price, Janni Leung, Hilde Thygesen, Gary Lamph, Isaac Kabelenga, Amy Østertun Geirdal

Mentions

77
Peak: 5 in Jan 2023
across 4 sources since Jan 2023

Extended reach

20,867
potential audience

Total likes

14

Video views

81

Mentions per month

Jan 2023 – Jul 2025

Where it's discussed

  • News68 articles
  • X / Twitter5 posts
  • YouTube2 videos
  • Blogs2 articles

AI synopsis

What people are saying

Overall, the discussions express agreement with the study's conclusions, highlighted by phrases like 'finds' and 'feel lonelier,' while also showing interest through sharing links to the full paper. The tone remains informational, with some acknowledgment of the nuanced difference in motives for social media use, emphasizing that maintaining contact alone might not reduce loneliness and could even increase it.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most posts acknowledge the study's findings that using social media mainly to maintain relationships is associated with increased loneliness, indicating general agreement with the publication.

InterestHigh interest

Discussions show strong interest, with mentions of the open access paper and the implications of the research, suggesting curiosity and relevance.

EngagementModerate engagement

Posts reference specific results of the study, such as the link between motives for social media use and loneliness, which demonstrates moderate engagement but lacks deep analysis.

ImpactModerate impact

The posts hint at a recognition of the study's significance, but mainly focus on sharing information rather than exploring broad societal impacts.

Abstract in brief

  • The study found that higher social media use is linked to greater feelings of loneliness, especially among younger people, those worried about their health, and individuals without partners or employment.
  • Researchers identified three main reasons for social media use: avoiding difficult feelings, maintaining contact, or both, with only those primarily using social media to maintain contact experiencing increased loneliness from more time spent online.
  • The results suggest that social media may not effectively fulfill the emotional needs of users who mainly use it to keep in touch, and this type of use is associated with higher loneliness levels.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Eric Neumann
@EricNeumannPsy · X

New longitudinal, cross-sectional study across multiple (WEIRD) countries finds: People "who use social media for the motive of maintaining their relationships feel lonelier than those who spend the same amount of time on social media for other reasons." https://t.co/ey38R1UW2J

Jan 9, 2023 · 8 likes · 2 shares · 12,058 followers View post →
Dr Gary Lamph PhD
@gazlamph · X

Here's the open access paper https://t.co/U7TsO7feTh https://t.co/GPEZaWhbvb

Jan 6, 2023 · 3 likes · 1 share · 2,236 followers View post →
Catherine Gamble FRCN Mental Health/General Nurse
@minifeet2 · X

RT @gazlamph: Here's the open access paper https://t.co/U7TsO7feTh https://t.co/GPEZaWhbvb

Jan 6, 2023 · 1 share · 3,988 followers View post →
Sander Koole
@SLKoole · X

RT @EricNeumannPsy: New longitudinal, cross-sectional study across multiple (WEIRD) countries finds: People "who use social media for the…

Jan 10, 2023 · 2 shares · 2,238 followers View post →

All mentions

Sander Koole
@SLKoole · X

RT @EricNeumannPsy: New longitudinal, cross-sectional study across multiple (WEIRD) countries finds: People "who use social media for the…

Jan 10, 2023 · 2 shares · 2,238 followers View post →
Eric Neumann
@EricNeumannPsy · X

New longitudinal, cross-sectional study across multiple (WEIRD) countries finds: People "who use social media for the motive of maintaining their relationships feel lonelier than those who spend the same amount of time on social media for other reasons." https://t.co/ey38R1UW2J

Jan 9, 2023 · 8 likes · 2 shares · 12,058 followers View post →
Catherine Gamble FRCN Mental Health/General Nurse
@minifeet2 · X

RT @gazlamph: Here's the open access paper https://t.co/U7TsO7feTh https://t.co/GPEZaWhbvb

Jan 6, 2023 · 1 share · 3,988 followers View post →
Dr Gary Lamph PhD
@gazlamph · X

Here's the open access paper https://t.co/U7TsO7feTh https://t.co/GPEZaWhbvb

Jan 6, 2023 · 3 likes · 1 share · 2,236 followers View post →
Tore Bonsaksen
@ToreBonsaksen · X

While social media may facilitate social contact to a degree, they may not facilitate the type of contact sought by those who use social media primarily for this reason.https://t.co/ujTSge7PLX

Jan 2, 2023 · 254 followers View post →