Is social media making us feel more connected or more alone?
According to DataReportal, as recently as January 2025, 86.3% of adults were social media users.
For most people, that probably doesn’t come as a surprise. Most people we come across daily are social media users. When I see that statistic, it is not just unsurprising. It’s actually alarming, and let me tell you why.
Generation Z is often claimed to be the generation that struggles the most with mental health.
Yesterday, I was walking through a bookstore and saw a book titled “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt, and I decided to look it up. It turns out that it was a book about how over-reliance on smartphones and social media has damaged Generation Z.
There are several other books and scholarly articles discussing the impact social media has had on not just Generation Z but people from every generation. Having read many of these articles, I completely agree. Social media often does more harm than good and is making people feel more alone than ever.
People in my generation are aware that it’s not just one generation that has been impacted by social media. Most of us have had to bear the experience of our parents and grandparents scrolling through Facebook Reels at max volume in the living room.
Of course, social media is helpful in many ways, such as keeping in touch with family and friends who live far away, staying updated on what is going on in the lives of others and simply for entertainment.
However, social media is easy to abuse. Most of us are guilty of it because it’s so easy to sit down and scroll for hours on TikTok.
Social media was designed to keep you hooked and constantly returning for more. To me, it seems that many people are almost prisoners to it, completely under its control.
This might seem dramatic, but I don’t think it is.
This week, I’ve been paying extra attention while walking around on campus. Almost every person I see walking around is staring down at their phone.
The thing is, most people realize how addicting phones and social media are, but they don’t often consider the consequences or try to change it.
With social media being so prevalent, it seems people have stopped going out and talking to people the way they used to.
Sure, people still go meet up with their friends and talk sometimes. It’s just different now. Even friends spending time together are often seen on their phones instead of talking.
Social media even changes the way we communicate with each other. You may call me crazy for this, but I think people are more awkward than they used to be. When we consider the role of social media, it makes perfect sense. Instead of communicating face to face, much of communication is now virtual.
This leaves us with a lack of practice with social interaction that teaches us essential communication skills such as smiling and reading body language and tone of voice.
No wonder people keep feeling lonelier. Virtual interaction does not provide the same level of human connection as face-to-face interactions.
While not everyone falls victim to the trap of social media addiction, it’s vital to track and evaluate the way you use it.
Sometimes, I consider what life will be like when I am elderly. I hope that when I look back on my life, the laughter of my children is burned into my brain. I hope that the joy of my happiest moments is engraved into my heart and that I did not waste my life away scrolling on social media.
A life well-lived boasts experiences and prioritizes connection to those around you. I am concerned that if people don’t start taking steps to minimize social media use, life will slip away from them.
I fear that social media contributes to the loneliness of so many people, many of whom don’t even realize it.
There is a famous quote by Mae West that says, “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”
Social media presents the greatest paradox of all. It proves that the whole world can be connected, yet most people feel so alone.