Social media use, social anxiety, and loneliness: A systematic review

Background: Social media use (SMU) has become highly prevalent in modern society, especially among young adults. Research has examined how SMU affects well-being, with some findings suggesting that SMU is related to social anxiety and loneliness. Socially anxious and lonely individuals appear to prefer and seek out online social interactions on social media. Objective: This systematic review examines social anxiety (SA) and loneliness (LO) in the context of SMU. Methods: A multi-database search was performed. Papers published prior to May 2020 relevant to SMU and SA and/or LO were reviewed. Results: Both socially anxious and lonely individuals engage online more problematically and seek out social support on social media, potentially to compensate for lack of in-person support. SA and LO are associated with problematic SMU; LO appears to be a risk factor for engaging problematically online. Conclusions: LO is a risk factor for problematic SMU. More research on the relationship between SA and SMU is needed. To date, problematic SMU has been defined in terms of frequency rather than pattern of use. Most research has relied on self-report cross-sectional examinations of these constructs. More experimental and longitudinal designs are needed to elucidate potential bidirectional relationships between SA, LO, and SMU.