Uncovering the Ties between Social Media and Loneliness

Abstract

Social Media has become one of the vast used service in the past few decades. The growth that has been there for Social Media and various platforms have been quite massive when equated against any other form of media. The study was designed to comprehend the relation between Social Media Use and Loneliness and also the impact of using social media on loneliness amongst College Students. Methods and Materials: The present research was oriented in a cross-sectional, descriptive – correlational research method. Study was administered college students enrolled in Delhi. The sample included a total of 234 candidates with 117 males and 117 females each. The stratified random sampling was considered to be the criteria for the selection of equal ratio of candidates from every strata(zone) as to diversify the sample among the major zones viz. North, South, East, West and Central. The data was gathered via appropriate data collection tools and via self-administration by the candidates. The questionnaire included a Social Networking Usage Questionnaire (19 item, 5-point Likert Scale) and UCLA Loneliness Scale (20 item, 4-point Likert Scale). Results: Study inferred that no significant difference was present between males and females in terms of loneliness as well as in social media usage. Significant correlation was present between social media usage for socialization and loneliness (r = 0.134, p<0.05) ; social media usage for entertainment and loneliness(r = 0.151, p< 0.05). Conclusion: Present study concluded that Social media is associated with the loneliness amongst the college students in Delhi.  The mental health professionals, peers, parents, college faculty must also ensure that such individuals are heard of and looked upon for their best of interests.