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Cited by 309COVID-19 and Mental HealthImpact of Technology on AdolescentsCommunication and COVID-19 Impact

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 124 of the 124 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Facing Loneliness and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Isolation: The Role of Excessive Social Media Use in a Sample of Italian Adults

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Boursier, Valentina, Gioia, Francesca, Musetti, Alessandro, Schimmenti, Adriano·2020·Frontiers in Psychiatry
DOI 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.586222PMC PMC7752864
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Abstract

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prompted people to face a distressing and unexpected situation. Uncertainty and social distancing changed people's behaviors, impacting on their feelings, daily habits, and social relationships, which are core elements in human well-being. In particular, restrictions due to the quarantine increased feelings of loneliness and anxiety. Within this context, the use of digital technologies has been recommended to relieve stress and anxiety and to decrease loneliness, even though the overall effects of social media consumption during pandemics still need to be carefully addressed. In this regard, social media use evidence risk and opportunities. In fact, according to a compensatory model of Internet-related activities, the online environment may be used to alleviate negative feelings caused by distressing life circumstances, despite potentially leading to negative outcomes. The present study examined whether individuals who were experiencing high levels of loneliness during the forced isolation for COVID-19 pandemic were more prone to feel anxious, and whether their sense of loneliness prompted excessive social media use. Moreover, the potentially mediating effect of excessive social media use in the relationship between perceived loneliness and anxiety was tested. A sample of 715 adults (71.5% women) aged between 18 and 72 years old took part in an online survey during the period of lockdown in Italy. The survey included self-report measures to assess perceived sense of loneliness, excessive use of social media, and anxiety. Participants reported that they spent more hours/day on social media during the pandemic than before the pandemic. We found evidence that perceived feelings of loneliness predicted both excessive social media use and anxiety, with excessive social media use also increasing anxiety levels. These findings suggest that isolation probably reinforced the individuals' sense of loneliness, strengthening the need to be part of virtual communities. However, the facilitated and prolonged access to social media during the COVID-19 pandemic risked to further increase anxiety, generating a vicious cycle that in some cases may require clinical attention.

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  1. Trepte, 2014, Risky behaviors: how online experiences influence privacy behaviors, p. 225
  2. Yildiz, 2017, Emotion regulation strategies as predictors of internet addiction and smartphone addiction in adolescents, J Educ Sci Psychol., 7, 66

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Metadata

Authors
Boursier, V., Gioia, F., Musetti, A., & Schimmenti, A.
Affiliations
  • University of Naples Federico II (IT)
  • University of Parma (IT)
  • Università degli Studi di Enna Kore (IT)
Corresponding author
Boursier, Valentina
ORCID
Venue
Frontiers in Psychiatry
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Published
2020-12-08
Volume
11
Pages
586222-586222
ISSN
1664-0640 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3389/fpsyt.2020.586222
PMC
PMC7752864
OpenAlex
W3111058100
Cited by
309
References
122
Citations by year
2026: 32 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 46 · 2023: 64 · 2022: 76 · 2021: 52 · 2020: 1
FWCI
19.32
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Frontiers in Psychiatry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
  • Social Sciences › Communication › Communication and COVID-19 Impact
Keywords
COVID-19 lockdown, loneliness, anxiety, excessive social media use, social distancing, online communities, mental health during pandemic, Italian adults

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