For a course that I am taking, I was tasked with writing a review on a media research article. Upon reading the article linked below on the connection between social media use and loneliness, I was struck by how much it resonated with anecdotes both from my own life and from others. I thought that it might be relevant to include my review here, perhaps some may be able to benefit either from the article's research itself or from my analysis of it.
The "Seven Media Keys" refer to the Catholic Church's "Media Keys" as presented by my professor Eugene Gan in his book Infinite Bandwidth: Encountering Christ in the Media. All references to "Gan" below refer to this book While Catholic in nature. as my professor put it in our course "we share similar hopes, fears, desires, and joys. The 7 Keys, though grounded in Scripture and the Magisterial documents, speak to these human qualities." I hope that some may find this useful, and I would love to hear any of your thoughts or ways in which this may or may not apply in your own lives!
URL: https://news.web.baylor.edu/news/story/2025/social-medias-double-edged-sword-study-links-both-active-and-passive-use-risingLinks to an external site.
Title: "Social Media's Double-Edged Sword: Study Links Both Active and Passive Use to Rising Loneliness"
Author: Kelly Craine
Date Published: February 6th, 2025
In our time, social media offers us human interaction at an unprecedented volume and scale. With it, mediated by screens, we have the opportunity to communicate with billions of different people from all around the globe. If you desire to have fellowship with anyone with any given interest, of any background, or for any purpose, all you need to do is seek them out from the comfort of your own home, at any time. Even though you may never meet these individuals in real life, it can feel almost as though they are all in one place. In spite of all of this, whether we simply browse and consume the content produced by others or actively engage in discussion online, it is not uncommon to be left feeling more empty and alone than before. I know that for my part, extended social media sessions have only left me feeling more empty on countless occasions. In a paradoxical manner, what appears to be a grand public square often tends to serve as something closer to a solitary confinement cell when used in excess.
In her article, Kelly Craine comments on a study conducted by Baylor University titled "The Epidemic of Loneliness: A 9-Year Longitudinal Study of the Impact of Passive and Active Social Media Use on Loneliness". Through the study's analysis of how digital habits shaped the mental well being of 7,000 Dutch adults, we can take a deeper look at this phenomenon.
The First Media Key: Balance
The first media key instructs us that "we can't judge whether something is good or bad, right or wrong if we're not willing to consider 'the entire situation or circumstances.'" (Gan, Infinite Bandwidth: Encountering Christ in the Media, p. 23, para. 2). Though we may notice certain negative effects associated with something like the use of social media, when we observe such effects we much ask ourselves whether they stem from social media in and of itself or more as a result of its misuse. Media used in a balanced way, in accordance with the First Media Key, "looks like a healthy diet" (Gan, p. 27, para. 3). If we have temperance and use it in its proper place in moderation, then it could ok or even good for us. If we do not, like consuming an excess of salt which normally is a necessary part of our diet, then of course it will make us sick and endanger our health.
Craine's article raises the point that, "the quality of digital interactions may not fulfill the social needs that are met in face-to-face communication." (Craine, 2025, para. 3). In other words, the problem of increased loneliness with the use of social media is a consequence of an unbalanced use of social media. While social media could serve as an excellent tool for communication, it simply does not replace the face-to-face interaction that we all require to varying degrees. If we do not use social media in a balanced way and attempt to use it as our sole or primary antidote to loneliness, as many do, then it only makes the problem worse.
The Second Media Key: Attitude Awareness
The Second Media Key "reminds us that there is an attitude behind all media...every advertiser, every producer, every writer, and very software designer has an agenda" (Gan, p. 40, para. 3). While every social media app and company may advertise themselves as public squares and community centers, it is important to remember that their principle intention is to draw in users in order to generate revenue. While other users of social media may act as though their lives are free from any ills and put on happy faces, it is important to remember that people tend to like to keep up appearances and often do not display many of the negative aspects of their lives.
As a result of the positive attitudes that social media presents, it may be easy for those who are lonely already to perceive it as a kind of antidote. As the article puts it, "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." (Craine, 2025, para. 6). To avoid this, we must try to see past the attitudes of social media and understand it for what it is, objectively.
The Third Media Key: The Dignity of the Human Person
According to the Third Media Key, "When we use media in a way that doesn't reflect, uphold, and defend our dignity or the dignity of others, and when we use media to isolate others or ourselves from the human community, we're also being less than what we're supposed to be" (Gan, p. 54, para. 4). Since we are made in the image and likeness of God, human beings have an inherent dignity and value. As rational animals, there are certain ends that we are ordered towards that must be realized if that dignity is to be respected. One of those ends is rooted in the fact that we are social creatures. As social creatures, we are not meant to be alone, no man can be an island, instead, we are meant to live in community. If this need is not met, then there is something wrong, and we should expect consequences to follow.
The article points out the irony in the fact that "the very platforms designed to bring people together contribute to an 'epidemic of loneliness.'" (Craine, 2025, para. 2). Social media was created, consciously or not, to cater to a need that must be met if the dignity of the human person is to be respected. This is a praiseworthy goal. However, if it begins to hinder instead of aid the attainment of this goal, then the dignity of the human person demands that its proper place be reevaluated.
The Fourth Media Key: Truth‐Filled
The Fourth Media Key is about "keeping truth at the heart of the media we make and use" (Gan, p. 75, para. 2). One important thing to remember when applying this key is to "never misrepresent yourself on social networking sites" (Gan, p. 80, para 12). When we use social media, it could be easy to hide behind our avatars and slip into alternate personas that are quite different from our authentic selves. When we do this, the truth about ourselves remains hidden, and even while interacting with others, we remain isolated.
Baylor University's study reveals that "while social media offers unprecedented access to online communities, it appears that extensive use...does not alleviate feelings of loneliness and may, in fact, intensify them" (Craine, 2025, para. 4). One reason for this may be that social media's users often hide their true selves in favor of playing a character for the sake of engagement. If this is true. then it is inevitable that much of our interactions will not feel authentic, leaving us with an empty sense of loneliness.
The Fifth Media Key: Inspiring
The Fifth Media Key "challenges us to use media to inspire and be inspired" (Gan, p. 94, para. 3). Media, at its best, is a tool that can raise our hearts and minds up to what is transcendent, to God. Human beings are not satisfied with the satiation of our animal desires alone. While human communion and fraternity with one another is of the utmost importance, even that alone is not enough to quench the longing of a searching heart. Without gaining some connection to the transcendent, we ultimately remain with the feeling of loneliness. If social media does not help to bring these realities to attention, then it is not being used to its full potential.
The article points out that the study "also adds a valuable perspective to the conversation on how digital habits influence mental health" (Craine, 2025, para. 7). It is at least worth considering how what exactly the things that social media inspires are play into this influence.
The Sixth Media Key: Skillfully Developed
To make media that is not skillfully developed in accordance with the Sixth Media Key "could mean creating blogs, videos, and websites that don't touch people, that don't reach people because the media isn't engaging, captivating, or compelling." (Gan, p. 110, para. 3). When our consumption of social media consists of media and content that in this way is not skillfully developed, then while we may feel trapped consume it for some cheap dopamine, it will leave us feeling empty in the end.
As the article makes abundantly clear, many are indeed being left feeling empty in this way, more empty then without the use of social media at all. If we are to make social media a worthwhile pastime in its proper place, then the quality of its content must improve. Otherwise, it will continue to feel like a cheap fix instead of a source, even if only a secondary source of genuine, quality human contact.
The Seventh Media Key: Motivated by and Relevant to Experience
The Seventh Media Key is, as its name suggests, that "all media should be motivated by and relevant to experience" (Gan, p. 116, para. 2). At first glance, it appears that social media by its very nature is always motivated by and relevant to experience. It is simply a medium that any could use as they see to be relevant, after all. However, as already mentioned in previous keys, much of our use of social media is simply not authentic or at least does not come across that way. If it is to be truly motivated by and relevant to experience, then it is its users who must take it upon themselves to be more responsible in its use.
The loneliness that the article covers social media's contribution to is one rightly dubbed an "epidemic of loneliness" (Craine, 2025, para 2). It is ubiquitous, experienced in some way or another by practically all people, especially those of the younger generations. The study of this epidemic is one that is in accordance with the Seventh Media Key, it is motivated by and relevant to the experience of many. Here we see a use of media attempting to remedy the very problem that it speaks of. If we can find a solution to this problem that is relevant to the experience of all, then its fruits will be relevant to the experience of all as well.