How you scroll matters: Passive social media use linked to loneliness

Editors' notes

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

fact-checked

proofread

Not all social media use is the same. A Joint Research Center (JRC) study finds that how young Europeans use social media may be associated with loneliness more than how much time they spend online.

Passive consumption of social media seems to reinforce feelings of disconnection, according to a JRC policy brief that examines the relationship between social media use and loneliness.

Social media has become an inescapable part of daily life. It facilitates global connectivity, allowing individuals to engage in conversations, collaborate, and share thoughts, photos, and ideas. It has transformed how people form relationships and build communities, free from geographical and other barriers, and has enabled constant communication with friends and family, allowing for immediate and interactive responses.

Yet for many, especially younger users, social media appears to deliver a more complex outcome. In-person communications have dropped concomitantly to the drastic increase in the time spent online, which has led many to question the potential impact of social media on well-being in general and loneliness in particular.

In the policy brief "Loneliness and social media use in the European Union," the JRC provides the first European-level analysis of social media use patterns and the association between intensive social media use and loneliness. The data was taken from the 2022 EU-wide survey on loneliness (EU-LS) conducted by the JRC, and reveals that, when it comes to the loneliness experienced by young Europeans, it's not so much the hours spent on social platforms that matter most—it's the how.

Passive scrolling vs. active engagement

The JRC study, which examines social media use patterns across Europe, reveals that approximately 34.5% and 26.1% of respondents aged 16–30 use social networking sites and instant messaging tools for more than two hours per day. Additionally, more than one-third of young respondents show patterns consistent with social media addiction, like neglecting work, family or school for social media use multiple times a week. For those aged 31 and above, these figures are significantly lower.

The empirical analysis suggests that spending more than two hours daily on social networking sites is associated with a substantial increase in loneliness prevalence, but the results also point to a critical distinction. While intensive passive use of social media correlates with greater loneliness, there is no significant association between intensive use of instant messaging tools, or between active use of social media and loneliness.

This distinction points to the fact that the type of engagement, not just the time spent on it, is a key factor in whether social media has an effect on loneliness.

Policy implications and next steps

The JRC's findings align with previous research on the matter and are especially timely, as on the day of her election, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in the Political Guidelines for 2024–2029 that "an EU-wide inquiry on the broader impacts of social media on well-being" of young people will be launched.

Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter—daily or weekly.

Subscribe

In the meantime, the JRC will continue this work alongside the Commission's Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, exploring the effects of adolescents' social media habits on their well-being, mental health, and academic achievement.

Social media's role in modern life is undeniable, but its unintended consequences demand attention. The EU's focus on young people's mental health underscores the importance of these findings, which can inform policies for healthier digital engagement.

This policy brief is part of a series of publications related to the European Parliament pilot project "Monitoring Loneliness in Europe," initiated by the European Parliament and implemented jointly by the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion and the JRC.

More information: Policy brief: Loneliness and social media use in the European Union

Provided by European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC)