Does Social media make us feel lonely

 Does Social media make us feel lonely?

Social media allows people from every place and background to connect with thousands of people they would otherwise have never met. The problem is that access can make these interactions feel comparable to contact in the real world – which is not true. In fact, a study at the University of Glasgow in Scotland linked time on social media with lower self-esteem and higher levels of anxiety and depression. At the end of the day, you can have thousands of Instagram followers and still feel friendless.

Most of the time, the image you promote online is aspirational. Carefully crafted to attract a specific type of attention. With Instagram feeds, Snaps, YouTube channels, and blogs, we try to convince others and ourselves that our lives are perfect and worth pursuing. Hiding behind this façade does not allow us to truly connect with others. No matter how many people you talk to online, the masks we create make communication feel superficial most of the time.

These platforms also contribute to the fear of missing out. Instantly see what happened at every event or party you weren't invited to. Even if you get invited to an event and decide not to go, you might feel left out seeing other partygoers interacting on Snapchat and Instagram.

On the surface, it may seem like modern technology leads to more social involvement. Social media apps promise to “connect” us with others, when in fact they just foster shallow relationships. Clearly, those kinds of connections just isolate us from others in the real world.