While many youth use social media as a means to connect socially with others, those with high Social Media Use (SMU) may actually have higher rates of Social Isolation (SI). A recent article in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine assessed the relationship between SMU and SI in 1,787 young adults in the U.S. The participants ranged in age from 19 to 32 years old. Participants with higher rates of SMU reported more SI, though the study did not analyze the directionality or cause of the increased SI. Further research is needed in this area.
To learn more visit:
http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(17)30016-8/pdf
Contributor:
Julie T. Steck, Ph.D., HSPP
CRG/Children’s Resource Group
"PsychBytes” is a weekly educational resource from the Indiana Psychological Association (IPA) provided for psychologists, their colleagues and their patients.
