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Affinity-seeking, social loneliness, and social avoidance among Facebook users
Robert Lemieux1, Sean Lajoie, Nathan E Trainor
1McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster, MD 21157, USA. rlemieux@mcdaniel.edu
Psychological Reports
|July 10, 2013
Summary
College students spending more time on Facebook reported higher social loneliness and avoidance. However, more Facebook friends correlated with less loneliness and avoidance, suggesting social compensation. Women viewed Facebook as more integral to daily life than men.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Communication Studies
Background:
- Social networking sites (SNS) like Facebook are increasingly prevalent among college students.
- Understanding the psychological implications of SNS use is crucial for student well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between Facebook usage and psychological factors such as affinity-seeking, social loneliness, and social avoidance in college students.
- To explore gender differences in Facebook perception and content.
Main Methods:
- A quantitative study involving 313 college students.
- Data collected on Facebook usage (time spent, number of friends), affinity-seeking, social loneliness, and social avoidance.
- Analysis of self-reported embarrassing content on Facebook profiles.
Main Results:
- Increased time spent on Facebook was positively associated with social loneliness and social avoidance.
- A higher number of Facebook friends was negatively associated with social loneliness and social avoidance.
- Women perceived Facebook as more integrated into their daily lives than men.
- Men reported significantly more potentially embarrassing content on their Facebook profiles compared to women.
Conclusions:
- Facebook use, particularly time spent, may be linked to increased social isolation for some students.
- Building a larger network of Facebook friends might mitigate feelings of loneliness and social avoidance.
- Gender influences both the perception of Facebook's role and the nature of profile content, with implications for social compensation strategies.
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