The Epidemic of Loneliness: A 9-Year Longitudinal Study of the Impact of Passive and Active Social Media Use on Loneliness

The active social media use (ASMU) and passive social media use (PSMU) hypotheses suggest the impact of social media on perceived loneliness depends on how it is used. However, empirical studies examining the impact of ASMU and PSMU on loneliness are limited. Using a longitudinal study with a nationally representative sample of Dutch adults surveyed across nine annual waves, our findings lend support to the PSMU hypothesis, showing PSMU leads to higher loneliness over time. However, ASMU was not found to have the salubrious effects suggested by the ASMU hypothesis; instead ASMU was also positively associated with loneliness over time. Our findings bolster the emerging literature which suggests that social media, when used passively, may contribute to the epidemic of loneliness. However, it is premature to assume that active use of social media reduces loneliness. Our results also suggest that a bidirectional relationship exists between social media use and loneliness.