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Expert Research: Social Media's Double-Edged Sword: Study Links Both Active and Passive Use to Rising Loneliness

Baylor consumer behavior expert examines the hidden emotional costs of social media

Mar 10, 2025

2 min

James A. Roberts, Ph.D.Meredith David, Ph.D.


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In an age where social media promises to connect us, a new Baylor University study reveals a sobering paradox – the more time we spend interacting online, the lonelier we may feel. Researchers James A. Roberts, Ph.D., The Ben H. Williams Professor of Marketing in Baylor's Hankamer School of Business, and co-authors Philip Young, Ph.D., and Meredith David, Ph.D., analyzed a study that followed nearly 7,000 Dutch adults for nine years to understand how our digital habits shape well-being.


Published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, the Baylor study – The Epidemic of Loneliness: A Nine-Year Longitudinal Study of the Impact of Passive and Active Social Media Use on Loneliness – investigated how social media use impacts loneliness over time. This eye-opening research suggests that the very platforms designed to bring people together contribute to an "epidemic of loneliness."


Read the Study Here



The findings showed that both passive and active social media use were associated with increased feelings of loneliness over time. While passive social media use – like browsing without interaction – predictably led to heightened loneliness, active use – which involved posting and engaging with others – also was linked to increased feelings of loneliness. These results suggest that the quality of digital interactions may not fulfill the social needs that are met in face-to-face communication.


“This research underscores the complexity of social media’s impact on mental health,” Roberts said. “While social media offers unprecedented access to online communities, it appears that extensive use – whether active or passive – does not alleviate feelings of loneliness and may, in fact, intensify them.”


The study also found a two-way relationship between loneliness and social media use.


"It appears that a continuous feedback loop exists between the two,” Roberts said. “Lonely people turn to social media to address their feelings, but it is possible that such social media use merely fans the flames of loneliness."​



The findings emphasize an urgent need for further research into the effects of digital interaction, underlining the essential role of in-person connections in supporting well-being. This study also adds a valuable perspective to the conversation on how digital habits influence mental health, offering insights to shape future mental health initiatives, policies and guidelines for healthier social media use.


Are you covering social media and its impact on people?  Then let us help.


These experts are available to speak with media, simply click or contact Shelby Cefaratti-Bertin, M.A, Assistant Director of Media and Public Relations now to arrange an interview today.






Connect with:
James A. Roberts, Ph.D.

James A. Roberts, Ph.D.

The Ben H. Williams Professor of Marketing

Expert on consumer behavior, compulsive buying & the impact of smartphone and social media use on well-being

Consumer PsychologyConsumer BehaviorMarketingConsumer CultureMaterialism
Meredith David, Ph.D.

Meredith David, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Marketing

Dr. David focuses on marketing strategies with an exploration of new technologies.

Strategic PlanningMarketingMarketing and CommunicationsConsumer PreferencesWell-Being

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