Bringing the World Closer? Facebook Research Says Its Apps Can Make You Lonelier
Facebook and other social media platforms have been accused in the past of worsening mental health in users.
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Social Media Giant Facebook, now Meta Platforms Inc, is once again in the news for the mental health impact of its apps on its users.
Internal studies show the Meta apps make people lonelier and more isolated, contrary to what its mission statement "bringing the world closer together" might suggest. The data comes from its own researchers, reported Bloomberg.
According to the report, Meta plans to address this issue as their new virtual reality venture is being touted as a platform for greater connectivity.
Social media platforms, particularly Facebook, have been questioned in the past about the impact they have on their users' mental health.
What the Studies Found
According to the Bloomberg report, a September 2018 internal study conducted by Facebook involved interviews with 53 people. It found:
More than a third of Facebook users, approximately 36 percent, reported feeling lonely in the past month.
Young people between the ages of 13 to 24, were found to be most affected.
Loneliness was also more common with men than women.
The amount of time spent on Facebook correlated with loneliness. Users who spent too little or too much time on social media were more likely to feel lonely.
Another internal study, from November 2018, found that:
Certain experiences on Facebook increase loneliness. For example, seeing “negative posts or hurtful comments,” friends having fun without you, or posts that lead to social comparisons.
Using Facebook made people feel less lonely than using Twitter or dating apps,
However, it was found to increase loneliness more than any activity that the researchers measured, including video games and TV.
People who spend about an hour a day are the least lonely, while People who spend much less or much more time are lonelier, they said.
41 percent of already lonely users said Facebook made them feel better, and just 6 percent said it made them feel worse.
42 percent said they felt both more and less lonely after using it.
Facebook’s memories, which shows old photos and videos, increased loneliness for 40 percent of respondents but also decreased loneliness for 46 percent of them.
The conflicting results are a hurdle for Facebook (now Meta) in its attempts to address loneliness and mental health on its platforms.
"There tends to be a relationship between social media and loneliness, but those studies can’t answer for us: Is social media causing loneliness? Are lonely people coming to social media?" Eden Litt, a director on Meta’s internal research team, said, according to Bloomberg.
Business Incentive to Solve Loneliness
Meta is going through a rough patch. In February its shares plunged about 26 percent, erasing $250 billion or over a quarter of the company's market value. This was a direct reaction to a poor earnings report, a stagnating user base, and a weaker-than-expected outlook.
The most striking problem was that Facebook saw global daily active users decline from the previous quarter, from 1.930 billion to 1.929 billion. This is the first time this had happened in the 18-year history of the company.
It has also introduced a Loneliness Advice Chatbot on WhatsApp that users can talk to whenever they feel like.
Meta’s research reportedly came to the conclusion that Facebook is still “net positive” when it comes to loneliness but the tendency of its products to encourage social comparison can “drive people to use Facebook in ways that aggravate loneliness.”
(With inputs from Bloomberg.)
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