by Vincent Chao , May 2022
We conducted a study in spring 2022 to better understand how people use social media. We asked 100 social media users if they felt lonely. 100 random frequent social media users from US and Canada participated in a 10 question survey.
The Results
We asked participants, “Do you ever feel lonely?” Here’s what we found:
20% – All the time
15% – Alot of times
31% – Sometimes
23% – Rarely
11% – Never
In terms of results, we believe those who answer “Sometimes” are the general population who feel lonely, but not to the extent that it clouds over all aspects of their lives. Similarly, we believe that those who answer a lot of times, or always, feel loneliness in a much more visceral way. Loneliness at this level affects their daily lives, and in an intensity that causes sadness and depression. “Rarely” and “Never” are the lucky ones who live with stable, rewarding, close relationships and life situations.
Loneliness is One of the Biggest Social Problems Facing Us
The study found that 6 in 10 random social media users interviewed felt lonely from some to all the time. The numbers are staggeringly high and show that persistent loneliness may be one of the biggest mental health issues of our age, and it has a dramatic impact on all aspects on one’s physical and mental health. If you feel lonely or know someone who does, the evidence ironically shows that you are not alone.
In addition to this, 1 in 3 users interviewed felt lonely from alot to all the time. That means in a classroom or work group of 10, 3 or more members area dealing with a crushing level of loneliness and can’t tell you about it. It also means that likely you, someone in your family, or your group of friends are desperately struggling with loneliness and don’t know how to make things better.
Males vs. Females
When we look closer at the responses between male and females, this is what we find:
The study show that loneliness is even more serious for males compared to females. While the overall statistics for feeling lonely are equal, males heavily skew towards feeling lonely all the time, versus females, who skew towards feeling lonely sometimes. The study shows that despite the fact that the participants use social media often and are well connected digitally, it certainly is not helping users feel less lonely.
If you find this article interesting, please like, comment and share this article. If you would like to learn more about our study, please contact the author.
In our next study, we will dig deeper into the reasons why people feel lonely. We asked 100 social media users why they felt lonely.
Also check out “We asked 100 social media users where they spend their time”.