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Understanding user communication around loneliness on online forums
1Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Plos One
|September 23, 2021
Summary
Loneliness impacts online communication. This study analyzed language on Reddit forums, comparing loneliness forums with advice and depression forums to inform interventions.
Area of Science:
- Computational Social Science
- Psychology
- Digital Communication
Background:
- Online forums are increasingly used by individuals experiencing loneliness for support.
- Understanding communication patterns in loneliness and non-loneliness forums is crucial for effective online interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze language features of posts in a loneliness forum (/r/Lonely) compared to an advice-seeking forum (/r/AskReddit) and a depression forum (/r/depression).
- To identify language differences in posts within the loneliness forum based on whether users also engage with depression forums, differentiating between lonely-depressed and lonely-not-depressed individuals.
Main Methods:
- Comparative linguistic analysis of user posts across three Reddit forums: /r/Lonely, /r/AskReddit, and /r/depression.
- Identification of language features and topic themes in posts from users who participate in both loneliness and depression forums versus those only in the loneliness forum.
Main Results:
- Users on /r/Lonely frequently seek relationship advice on /r/AskReddit.
- Users in loneliness-only forums discuss work/job themes, while those in both loneliness and depression forums use more negative emotional language and discuss affection/relationships.
- Consistent with prior research, lonely users tend to make more self-references.
Conclusions:
- Linguistic analysis reveals distinct communication patterns and support needs among online users experiencing loneliness.
- Findings inform the development of targeted and effective online interventions for loneliness, considering co-occurring depression.
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