Investigating the Correlation Between Tech Use and Loneliness

This report examines the controversial issue of whether technology contributes to loneliness by analyzing three articles from different sources. The first article, a research study, explores the correlation between mobile phone addiction, daily phone use, gender, and loneliness among university students, highlighting both the benefits of communication and knowledge acquisition and the drawbacks of increased isolation and social anxiety due to excessive phone use. The second article discusses how social media improves interaction and shortens communication barriers but argues that the quality of online relationships is shallow and provides an illusion of friendship. The third article reinforces the idea that excessive social media use leads to feelings of isolation, envy, and a distorted perception of others. The report concludes by synthesizing the arguments for and against technology's role in fostering loneliness, drawing from the evidence presented in each article.

RUNNING HEAD: TECHNOLOGY AND LONELINESS 1
TECHNOLOGY AND LONELINESS
Students name
Institutional affiliation

TECHNOLOGY AND LONELINESS 2
ARTICLE 1. Loneliness and Mobile Phone
The first article was a research article published to analyze loneliness of university students
according to mobile phone addiction, daily phone use time and gender. It was published in 2013
by Cetin Tan, Mustafa Pamuk, and Aysenur Donder in a journal; Procedia- social and behavioral
sciences. It is a trustworthy article published in a known research journal. The article was not
biased on any view since it was a research article.
The pros
Mobile phones provide communication, interaction and enhance face to face interaction. They
offer the students opportunities for gaining more knowledge (Tan, Pamuk & Donder, 2013).
The cons
Students addicted to phones are lonelier than those not addicted. Pathological use of new
technologies reduces the individual’s implications in the real world and diminishes his
psychological wellbeing producing isolation, loneliness, and depression. Lastly, when too much
time and attention is spent n the phones, it increases social anxiety and loneliness (Tan, Pamuk &
Donder, 2013).
ARTICLE 2 Text or Talk: Is Technology making you lonely?
This article was published on 24th may 2012 in the Forbes magazine by Margie Warrell.. It is a
reliable website as it is an established publishing institution that is non-biased. The article,
however, is for the idea that technology, in this case, social media makes us lonely.
The pros
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TECHNOLOGY AND LONELINESS 3
Social media has improved the way we interact, shortened world barriers to communication and
helped people find relationships. It even helps us stay in touch with friends and family who are
far (Warell, 2012).
The cons
The quality of social relationships formed is shallow and cannot compare to face to face
interaction. The interactions cannot satisfy the need for intimacy. They also provide an illusion
of friendship whereby people have many online friends but no confidants (Warell, 2012).
ARTICLE 3 Too much social media 'increases loneliness and envy' – study.
Written in March 2017 by Mark Molloy in The Telegraph; it is titled: The newspaper is an
accredited reliable source of information for millions. The article was pro this statement
The pros
Social media helps us stay connected with friends and family. They also enhance the
relationships and help bring people closer (Molloy, 2017).
The cons
Too much time spent on social media makes people feel isolated. A study shows that those teens
who were more involved in these social sites felt left out lonely and envious of others. It also
distorts their image of others (Molloy, 2017).
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TECHNOLOGY AND LONELINESS 4
References
Molloy, M. (2017, March 6). Too much social media 'increases loneliness and envy' – study. The
Telegraph. [online]. Retrieved from
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/03/06/much-social-media-increases-
loneliness-envy-study/
Tan, Ç., Pamuk, M., & Dönder, A. (2013). Loneliness and Mobile Phone. Procedia - Social and
Behavioral Sciences, 103, 606-611. Retrieved from doi:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.10.378
Warell, M. (2012, may 24). Text or Talk: Is Technology Making You Lonely? Forbes.[online].
Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/womensmedia/2012/05/24/text-or-talk-is-
technology-making-you-lonely/#38b51ff12a7b
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