Date of Award

5-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Social Work

Department

School of Social Work

First Reader/Committee Chair

Li, Yawen

Abstract

Social media use has become part of the everyday routines of society. It is very common to see people, especially young adults, be involved in more than one social media platform. It is also known that because of the features of social media less in-person interactions are required, which brings up the question of whether people feel more lonely or socially isolated with the increased use of social media platforms. Due to this increasing attachment to the use of social media and its possible relationship with social isolation and loneliness it is important to understand if there are any implications that are caused by its excessive use. This research looks into the possible implications that social media could have on young adult’s mental health, with social isolation as a mediator. The research from this project showed that there is no direct relationship between social media use and the mental health of young adults, and that, likewise, social isolation is not a mediator leading increase social media to negatively affect the mental health of young adults. Research in this project did show, however, that there is a strong relationship between social isolation and mental health, as social isolation increased in young adults so did stress, anxiety, and depression.

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