networking

Young Americans between the ages of 18-29 now spend more than five hours a day social networking, and heavy social media use has been linked to depression.

Spending too much time social networking appears to be a key driver in loneliness, but a new paper published in Telematics and Informatics suggests motivated uses of social networking sites for connecting with people and feeling companionship can also play a role in alleviating it.

Networked friendship quality questions asked if they joked with friends on social networking sites or felt a sense of camaraderie when using them.

But those who felt closeness and camaraderie with other users of social networking reported increased self-esteem even six weeks later, and this association was significant for users up to the age of 61.

People over 70 reported lower levels of self-esteem as they became close with other people on social networking sites, perhaps because they see digital friendship less as a supplement to real life connections and more as a crutch.