UC Berkeley researchers found positive social media experiences helped adolescents mitigate loneliness and develop peer relationships during COVID-19 lockdowns, according to a study published Aug. 26.
The research, led by campus research fellow Lucía Magis-Weinberg and her project group, Transitions, found that the quality of screen time is more important than the quantity of time online. Teenagers who found online support reported less loneliness during the pandemic. As a result, Magis-Weinberg suggested adults promote positive online experiences for the youth rather than limited social media usage.
The research is part of a long-term effort to promote digital citizenship and healthy technology usage in the Global South and is one of the first studies to document social media’s impact on mental health in regions outside of Europe and the United States, according to a Berkeley News press release on the topic.
“Friends are important at any life stage, but they are especially important for adolescents,” Magis-Weinberg said in an email. “We believe that digital and social media can be a very useful tool, when used positively and actively, to build and foster relationships with peers. However, social media can also introduce risks.”
According to the press release, the study challenged the assumption that the combination of physical isolation during lockdown and excessive social media usage is a “recipe for a loneliness epidemic.”
Campus professor Stephen Hinshaw echoes...
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