Social media usage and loneliness among Princess Nourah University medical students

Abstract Background Social media addiction has a negative effect on one’s daily lifestyle and impacts one’s physical and psychological health, such as in increased feelings of loneliness. This study examined the prevalence of social media addiction and loneliness and the relationship between them among medical students at the Princess Nourah University. A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students at the Princess Nourah University. A sample was conducted using a multistage technique. The sample size was 302. The tool was a self-administered paper questionnaire. Results Out of 302 participants, 225 (74%) had indications of social media addiction according to the self-reported scale, while around 146 (48%) had self-reported feelings of loneliness. There was a significant weak correlation between the social media addiction and loneliness measures ( r = .361; p < 0.001). Conclusions A high prevalence of self-reported social media addiction was found in our study and was significantly correlated with self-reported feelings of loneliness. Awareness programmes can be developed and expanded regarding the consequences of social media use and the physical and mental hazards of loneliness.