Image Credit: Your Teen
I’ve come to realise that, even when surrounded by others, loneliness can still exist. I see many young people experiencing loneliness showing similar characteristics such as excessive stress, irritability, sadness, etc. A 2025 study called the ‘isolation despite hyper-connectivity’ paradox shows that even though smartphone and social media use have shot up among teens over the last 10 years, many of them still feel really lonely and have poorer mental health overall. The study noted that smartphone use has risen very fast over the last decade, as has the rate of the common health disorder.
The same pattern shows up in research on young adults (around age 26 on average), where spending more time online in general is modestly linked to loneliness but routine social media use isn't; rather, getting hooked on it compulsively, or running into nasty experiences (like online bullying or harassment), posting something later regretted, or engaging in superficial chats are more strongly associated with feeling lonely or struggling mentally.
Online messaging, texting and browsing are all very easy and convenient to do; however, they can become really time-consuming, and although there may be many interactions, they do not always lead to an emotionally meaningful connection. Many online interactions tend to be superficial, which can create feelings of frustration. Even though the studies looked at online behaviours, it makes sense that spending quality time with friends and family in person could help ease feelings of loneliness.
One additional aspect is that constantly viewing only the “highlights” of what others’ lives look like (those polished, curated moments everyone shares) can make just about anyone feel like they’re not doing well enough themselves, which means online activity does not really fulfil an individual’s emotional needs entirely.
Personally, I believe that today’s society puts too much focus on developing digital ways to connect with others. While spending too much time online can feel social, it may not always lead to a deep emotional connection. For me, online communications work better as a complement to face-to-face interaction rather than a replacement.
Essentially, a balance between your online/offline time, engaging in conversations that are meaningful and choosing activities that promote meaningful relationships can help foster deeper social connections. These experiences can definitely help ease loneliness and make our lives fuller.
References:
Bear, H., et al., (2025). Isolation despite hyper-connectivity? The association between adolescents’ mental health and online behaviours in a large study of school-aged students. Current Psychology https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-025-07643-z
Matthews, T., et al,. (2025). Social media use, online experiences, and loneliness among young adults: A cohort study. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.15370
