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More than half of American college students are experiencing loneliness, and those who spend the most time on social media are particularly vulnerable to feeling isolated, according to a sweeping new study of nearly 65,000 young adults.
The findings, published in the Journal of American College Health, reveal that spending as few as 16 hours a week on social media — roughly two hours a day — is associated with significantly higher odds of loneliness among students aged 18 to 24.
Researchers analyzed survey data from 64,988 students across more than 120 colleges nationwide, measuring loneliness through self-reported feelings of isolation, lack of companionship and feeling left out.
Fifty-four percent of students surveyed said they were lonely — a figure consistent with other recent national research. Female and Black students reported particularly high rates of loneliness. Students living on campus fared better than those who lived at home, while members of fraternities and sororities were among the least lonely, likely due to the social opportunities those organizations provide.
The data revealed a striking dose-response relationship between social media use and loneliness. Students who used social media 16 to 20 hours a week were 19 percent more likely to report feeling lonely compared to those who didn't use it at all. That figure climbed to 23 percent for those spending 21 to 25 hours weekly, 34 percent for 26 to 30 hours, and 38 percent among the heaviest users — those logging at least 30 hours a week online.
About 13 percent of students in the study fell into that excessive-use category.
"These results underscore how widespread loneliness is among college students and highlight that excessive social media use may be replacing the meaningful interactions that protect their mental health," said Dr. Ashley L. Merianos, a senior author of the paper and researcher at the University of Cincinnati.
The study was led by Dr. Madelyn Hill, now an assistant professor at Ohio University, who conducted the research during her doctoral work at the University of Cincinnati's School of Human Services.
"We know that people who are lonely are more likely to become depressed," Hill said. "We also know that those who are lonely are more likely to die early. Young adulthood is a time of many changes — from leaving home for the first time to starting college and forming new friendships — and it is vital that colleges and universities do all they can to help their students forge connections with others."
Researchers caution that the study cannot definitively establish cause and effect. Excessive social media use may crowd out face-to-face interaction for some students, while others who already feel lonely may turn to social platforms seeking connection. The authors suspect the relationship runs in both directions.
One unexpected finding: students enrolled in hybrid courses — a mix of in-person and online instruction — reported lower levels of loneliness than those attending fully in-person classes. Researchers theorize that hybrid students may have maintained ties with friends from home while still participating in college life.
The researchers are calling on colleges and universities to take an active role in addressing what they describe as a loneliness epidemic on campuses, including educating students about the effects of excessive social media use and encouraging them to attend in-person campus events.
"Helping students understand how excessive social media use can affect their well-being may lead to some of them assessing how much time they spend on it," Hill said. "They may then cut back on it or even set time limits for themselves."
