Is Technology Making You Feel Lonely?
By: Anahil F
Tags: Connection, Social Media, Technology, Digital Connections, Perspective

Illustration by Jun Cen

Here’s how to shift that perspective and use it to connect

A study by the Angus Reid Institute showed that 47% of Canadians feel lonely and wish they had more human contact.

Technology as a communication tool can help us feel less alone; not only can it strengthen our relationships with loved ones, but it also allows us to share our experiences with and connect to people on a global scale and learn and explore our interests and hobbies.

“Online connection decreases depression, reduces loneliness, and increases levels of perceived social support” — Robert Kraut, Internet Paradox: A Social Technology That Reduces Social Involvement and Psychological Well-Being?.

Photo by Afif Kusuma on Unsplash

Similarly, a more recent study proved that “The different kinds of media people use to interact, the stronger their relationship tends to be”.

The various platforms available to us like Youtube, Tumblr, Instagram, and Snapchat (to name a few) have made it easy for people to connect with like-minded people and feel as if they are not alone in this world.

The internet has positively impacted many people by allowing them to expand their outreach; share their personal experiences with so many.

It's beautiful really, technology has allowed us to “shrink space through time” by providing accessibility to people all around the world in a matter of seconds.

During this global pandemic, technology has been perhaps one of our biggest saviours.

A recent study by the Pew Pew Center showed that 80% of American adults under the age of 50 say they have used the internet to search for information about the coronavirus, and 4 in 10 Americans say they have shared or posted information about co-vid on social media.

Our ability to connect with people online has enabled us to build and maintain our relationships with our loved ones. Thanks to technology like facetime and social media, we can effortlessly be there for each other in these trying times.

As we see with all widespread phenomena, technology can lead us down an admittedly cynical route if not used properly.

“All technology is a tool. It is morally neutral and dependent on the intentions with which it is used…. We have a choice: Do we want our communications to bring us together or split us apart?”. — P.J. Manney, Author of (R)evolution

With the rise of social media came the rise of online social pressures and cyberbullying.

As social media detoxes and the trend of ‘unplugging’ gain popularity, it is essential to realize that the answer lies not in swearing off the technology, but rather learning how to use it to our advantage.

Communication Technologies, specifically social media platforms, can often be labelled as ‘toxic’ and ‘materialistic.’ However, it is up to us to realize that we get to choose the information we consume.

Where we may feel tempted to follow the Kardashians and pine over their glamorous lifestyle, we could instead follow Instagram pages like Humans of New York, a page run by photographer Brandon Stanton. He shares the beautiful and real stories of people just like us.

illustration by John Williams RUS via Shuttershock

What technology has done in regards to sharing a plethora of information with us truly is astounding. Never before has it been this easy to find new updates on things we may be interested in; or to meet a community of people who share the same interests as us, whether it be cooking, painting, gaming or anything else we could name.

“the only way to make peace with technology is to make peace with ourselves”. — Tristan Harris, Co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology

It’s no secret that technology is often viewed as the culprit behind people’s loneliness.

Rather, it is a beautiful tool used not only to reach out to people but to discover and explore parts of ourselves.

Technology makes us feel less alone, not only by enhancing our socializations but also by encouraging us to learn more and more about our world and ourselves.