Are We Increasingly Disconnected in an Increasingly Connected World
Date
2020-02-12
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Abstract
The study explores factors influencing relatedness and loneliness in the context of digital connectivity. These factors include personality traits, time spent connecting face to face, time spent connecting via digital mediums (i.e., phone calls and text messages), time spent connecting via social media, who one is primarily connected with, and the primary reason for connecting. In addition, the research explores whether social media’s relationship with depression is moderated by a sense of relatedness. Seventy undergraduate students (18 to 38 years old) completed online questionnaires. The results indicate that relatedness is positively predicted by personality factors (i.e., agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion) and negatively predicted by time spent using social media. Time spent communicating face-to-face and through digital mediums, as well who individuals connect with and their reason for connecting did not predict or affect relatedness. Who individuals connect with and why they connect did interreact to affect loneliness, even when depression was controlled. Individuals who seek information from their families were the loneliest, while those who sought social companionship with friends at university or sought information from their non-university friends were the least lonely.
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Keywords
Relatedness, Loneliness, Social Media Use, Mental Health, Depression, Anxiety
Citation
Bignell, S. (2020). Are We Increasingly Disconnected in an Increasingly Connected World (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.