The relationship between social media use and loneliness across the lifespan in the United States: Population-based study using Health Information National Trends Survey data

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Objectives: Loneliness can affect all age groups and is continuing to grow as a major public health issue. One approach that has been proposed to address loneliness involves digital inclusivity because the ubiquity of technology and social media provides new avenues for activities to satisfy individuals' needs for social connection. It is unclear which age groups could benefit more from using social media related to loneliness. The current study advances the limited research on the relationship between social media use and loneliness looking across multiple age groups with nationally representative data. Methods: Data were analyzed from the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS; n = 4774). This study used multiple linear regression stratified by four age cohorts (Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers, Silent Generation) to examine the association of social media use with PROMIS Social Isolation scores and to assess differences across age cohorts. Covariates included age, gender, race and ethnicity, education, income, living with other adults, marital status, having a friend to talk to about health, self-rated health, PROMIS Meaning and Purpose, and the PHQ-4. There was not a significant relationship between social media and loneliness for Millennials and Generation X. Conclusions: Social media use may be a risk factor for loneliness particularly for those who are from the Baby Boomer and Silent Generation and use social media daily. Social media interventions aimed at decreasing loneliness among older adults should consider the directional of this relationship, which needs to be confirmed.