The use of social media among high school students and its relationship with the perception of loneliness: A pilot study

Background: Physical, psychological, and social impairments are becoming more common in the world due to Internet use and excessive use. Purpose: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between social media addiction (SMA) and the perception of loneliness in the high school period when peer influence is important. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted with a total of 988 students studying at four high schools in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey, in the fall semester of 2019-2020. The research data were collected using Introductory Information Form, Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS), and UCLA Loneliness Scale. Results: According to the findings, 67.2% of the students had different degrees of SMA. It was found that 7.8% of the students had a high or very high degree of addiction. Loneliness levels of the students were found to be high (UCLA mean 62.78). A strong negative correlation (p < 0.01) was found between loneliness and all the subscales of the SMAS except the busyness subscale. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate the social media addiction and the perception of loneliness in high school students are related at a level that cannot be ignored. Future research should evaluate social media addiction and loneliness together with other psychological markers.