Loneliness and the social Re-orientation process of adolescence: towards a truly developmental approach

In this article, I describe how research on the links between adolescent loneliness, on the one hand, and internalizing problems and aspects of social media use, on the other hand, has moved beyond simple cross-sectional studies. Adoption of longitudinal (i.e. cross-lagged) modelling and analyses of within-variance and short-term fluctuations over time have led to a more developmental approach to adolescent loneliness. A more fundamental change at the conceptual and measurement level implies that loneliness is increasingly considered both as a daily or state-like experience and a lasting trait. To advance current research even further along developmental lines, scholars of adolescence have to relate the topics discussed in this article to the overall quality of young people’s relationships with their parents and peers and changes therein.