Social media is all about connecting with other people．However, a new study suggests that overusing social media can lead to disconnection and loneliness．The study, titled Social Media Use and Perceived Social Isolation Among Young Adults in the United States, found that heavy use of platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram was associated with feelings of social isolation among young adults．
The study was conducted by Brian Primack and his team from the Center for Research on Media,Technology and Health at the University of Pittsburgh．The researchers surveyed 1,787 American adults aged 19 to 32 and asked them about their usage of 11 social media platforms．They also asked participants questions related to social isolation, such as how often they felt left out．Surprisingly, people who spent more time on social media felt lonelier than the others．
According to Tom Kersting, a psychotherapist (心理治疗师), the key to understanding these results lies in our understanding of “connections”．“Humans are social-emotional beings, meaning that it is in our DNA to be connected, face-to-face, with other humans,” he said．“Although people think being on social media all the time makes them ‘connected’ to others, they are actually ‘disconnected’, because the more time one spends behind a screen, the less time he or she spends on face-to-face communication.” “Part of the issue of loneliness is that the majority of people who use social media aren’t just posting; they are also viewing everyone else’s posts．The constant exposure to everyone else’s ‘perfect’ life experiences causes feelings of being left out and of being lonely.”
So what’s the solution? “It’s simple,” says Kersting．“Just focus on your own life—where you are going, what you are grateful for and what you want to accomplish in this world．Then go out and do it, and stop wasting so much time comparing your own life with others’,” he said．
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