In a new study from the University of Pittsburgh, psychologists conclusively found that consistent users of 11 major social network-- including but not limited to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat--were more likely to feel isolated and depressed than their off-the-grid counterparts.
Scientists studied 1,787 young adults and found that those who were on social sites more than 2 hours per day experienced double the likeliness to feel lonely and isolated.
Professor Brian Primack, the head research on the study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, told Dazed that, "As humans, we are very social creatures. Our biology has evolved over time to need true social interaction - things like eye contact, touch, and verbal discussion. Some social media interactions may help serve as true replacements for these social needs. However, if other social media interactions only serve to make people feel more socially isolated, this could certainly negatively influence mental health."
The data comes in the wake of a recent Huffington Post article finding gay loneliness to continue its perpetual pervasion of the male homosexual community even in a post-marriage equality America. Glad to know there's hope for fulfilling social and romantic lives out there.
You can read the full findings of the study at the American Journal of Preventive Medicine's site.
