Those who spend more time on social media feel more socially isolated
New research in the United States has found that the more time young adults spend on social media, the more likely they are to feel socially isolated.
Carried out by scientists from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, the team sampled 1,787 U.S. adults aged 19 to 32 in 2014.
Using questionnaires, the participants were asked about the amount of time and frequency of their social media use on 11 of the most popular social media platforms at the time: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine and LinkedIn.
The team also measured participants’ perceived social isolation using a validated assessment tool called the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System.
After controlling for a variety of factors, the results showed that participants who used social media for more than two hours a day were twice as likely to feel socially isolated compared to those who spent less than half an hour on social media each day.
In addition, those who visited social media sites 58 or more times per week were around three times as likely to feel socially isolated than those who visited these sites less than nine times per week.
“This is an important issue to study because mental health problems and social isolation are at epidemic levels among young adults,” said lead author Brian A. Primack, commenting on the findings.
“We are inherently social creatures, but modern life tends to compartmentalize us instead of bringing us together. While it may seem that social media presents opportunities to fill that social void, I think this study suggests that it may not be the solution people were hoping for.”
The results are also significant as social isolation has previously been associated with an increased risk for mortality.
The researchers have several theories for how an increased use of social media could also increase feelings of social isolation, suggesting that it could be that social media use replaces authentic “real-life” social experiences, because the more time a person spends online, the less time there is for real-world interactions.
Certain aspects of social media may also lead to feelings of isolation and being excluded, for example being able to see photos of friends having fun at an event to which they were not invited, and social media’s highly idealized representations of others’ lives can also lead to feelings of envy and a possibly false belief that others around us are leading happier and more successful lives.
Although they pointed out that more research needs to be done, the team are now encouraging doctors to ask patients about their social media use and advise them how to reduce that use if it appears to be contributing to feelings and symptoms of social isolation.
The results can be found online published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. JB
Watu wanaotumia muda mwingi kwenye mitandao ya kijamii wanahisi kuwa wamejitenga zaidi na jamii Utafiti mpya uliofanywa nchini Marekani umegundua kwamba vijana wanapotumia muda mwingi kwenye mitandao ya kijamii, wana uwezekano mkubwa zaidi wa kujisikia kuwa wamejitenga na jamii. Utafiti huo ulifanywa na wanasayansi wa Chuo Kikuu cha Pittsburgh, na ulijumuisha watu wazima 1,877 kutoka Marekani wenye umri wa miaka 19 hadi 32. Kwa kutumia maswali, washiriki waliulizwa juu ya kiasi cha muda na mzunguko wa matumizi yao ya mitandao ya kijamii kwenye moja ya majukwaa maarufu ya mitandao ya kijamii wakati huo: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine na LinkedIn. Timu pia ilipima washiriki 'kuona kutengwa kijamii kwa kutumia chombo cha tathmini iliyothibitishwa inayoitwa Mfumo wa Habari wa Kupima Matokeo ya Wagonjwa. Baada ya kudhibiti kwa sababu mbalimbali, matokeo yalionyesha kwamba washiriki ambao walitumia mitandao ya kijamii kwa zaidi ya saa mbili kwa siku walikuwa na uwezekano mara mbili wa kujisikia kutengwa kijamii ikilinganishwa na wale ambao walitumia chini ya nusu saa kwenye mitandao ya kijamii kila siku. Kwa kuongezea, wale waliotembelea tovuti za mitandao ya kijamii mara 58 au zaidi kwa wiki walikuwa karibu mara tatu zaidi ya kujisikia kutengwa kijamii kuliko wale waliotembelea tovuti hizi chini ya mara tisa kwa wiki. "Hii ni suala muhimu la kujifunza kwa sababu matatizo ya afya ya akili na kutengwa na jamii ni katika viwango vya janga miongoni mwa watu wazima vijana", alisema mwandishi mkuu Brian A. Primack, akitoa maoni juu ya matokeo. Sisi ni viumbe wa kijamii, lakini maisha ya kisasa huwa na kututenganisha badala ya kutufanya tuwe pamoja. Ingawa inaweza kuonekana kuwa mitandao ya kijamii inatoa fursa za kujaza upungufu huo wa kijamii, nadhani utafiti huu unaonyesha kuwa inaweza kuwa sio suluhisho ambalo watu walikuwa wakitumaini. <unk> Matokeo pia ni muhimu kwani kutengwa kwa kijamii hapo awali kumehusishwa na hatari ya kuongezeka kwa vifo. Watafiti wana nadharia kadhaa za jinsi matumizi ya media ya kijamii yanayoongezeka yanaweza pia kuongeza hisia za kutengwa na jamii, ikidokeza kuwa inaweza kuwa kwamba matumizi ya media ya kijamii yanabadilisha uzoefu halisi wa maisha halisi, kwa sababu wakati zaidi mtu hutumia mtandaoni, kuna muda mdogo wa kuingiliana na ulimwengu halisi. Vipengele fulani vya mitandao ya kijamii vinaweza pia kusababisha hisia za kutengwa na kutengwa, kwa mfano kuwa na uwezo wa kuona picha za marafiki wakifurahia tukio ambalo hawakualikwa, na uwakilishi wa mitandao ya kijamii wa maisha ya wengine pia unaweza kusababisha hisia za wivu na uwezekano wa imani bandia kwamba wengine karibu nasi wanaongoza maisha yenye furaha na mafanikio zaidi. Ingawa watafiti wanasema utafiti zaidi unahitaji kufanywa, sasa wanashauri madaktari kuwauliza wagonjwa juu ya matumizi yao ya mitandao ya kijamii na kuwashauri jinsi ya kupunguza matumizi hayo ikiwa yanaonekana kuchangia hisia na dalili za kutengwa kijamii. Matokeo ya utafiti huo yanaweza kupatikana kwenye mtandao na kuchapishwa katika jarida la American Journal of Preventive Medicine. JB