"As Harmful as Smoking"... The Truth Behind Everyday 'Likes' for SNS Insiders [Experiment Note]

Oregon State University Study Finds
"Online-Only Relationships Linked to Greater Loneliness"

Editor's NoteOne now, or two if you wait. Do you remember the marshmallow experiment that observed children's choices? Sometimes, simple research changes the way we see life. Let's take a fresh look at our daily lives through experimental data.

We look at photos posted by friends on social networking services (SNS), share short videos, and leave comments. It is now an era where you can access someone else's daily life at any time just by turning on your smartphone.

But something feels off. Although connections have become easier, more and more people are expressing feelings of loneliness. According to the "2025 Social Survey" released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics in November last year, 38.2% of respondents said they feel lonely in their daily lives. This means that 4 out of every 10 people experience everyday loneliness.

Instagram. Pexels

Loneliness Is Determined Not by SNS Usage Time, But by Who You Are Connected To

Increasing SNS usage does not necessarily reduce loneliness. In fact, the study found that loneliness can actually increase the more people interact with strangers they have never met in person through SNS. This suggests that "who you are connected to," rather than "how much time you spend on SNS," could be the key factor in loneliness.

Researchers at Oregon State University in the United States analyzed the correlation between SNS usage patterns and loneliness among approximately 1,500 American adults. The results were published in Public Health Reports, the official academic journal of the U.S. Public Health Service.

This study differed somewhat from previous SNS research. While earlier studies focused on teenagers or people in their twenties, this analysis targeted adults aged 30 to 70. The research team explained, "Since adults—not teenagers—make up most of the U.S. population and are also consistently exposed to SNS, this was an important research gap."

The survey showed that about 35% of participants' SNS contacts were people they had never met in real life. The researchers found that these "online-only, unfamiliar relationships" were especially linked to an increase in loneliness.

On the other hand, exchanging messages with people they actually knew produced different results. While it didn't significantly reduce loneliness, it also didn't make it worse.

"Offline Relationships Should Come First"

The researchers explained that the tendency to idealize others' relationships on SNS can impact feelings of loneliness. People tend to perceive others' relationships on SNS as happier and closer than they are in reality. Especially when it comes to people they've never met, it's hard to know what the relationship is really like, so it is easier to feel envy or a sense of exclusion.

Co-author Jessica Gorman noted, "On SNS, other people's relationships can look more perfect than they actually are," adding, "This tendency to idealize is likely to be even stronger with people you have never met in real life."

Bryan Primack, the lead researcher, said that people who feel lonely should reconsider their online-only relationships. He emphasized, "No matter how close an online relationship may feel, it is important to prioritize connections with people you actually meet in person."

In the United States, loneliness is regarded as a public health issue. In 2023, then-U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released a report stating that "loneliness can be as harmful to health as smoking." According to the study, people who often feel lonely are more than twice as likely to develop depression, face a 29% higher risk of heart disease, and a 32% higher risk of stroke. Among older adults, increased risk of dementia was also reported.

SNS Application Setlog. Setlog Instagram

"Real Friends Over Many Friends"... Millennials & Gen Z Turn to Closed SNS Platforms

Recently, among Millennials & Gen Z, closed SNS platforms that enable communication only with close friends are gaining popularity over open platforms that connect users with the general public. For example, the SNS application Setlog allows users to share videos with up to 12 friends, requiring users to record and upload a roughly two-second video every hour on the hour. The identity of the app is about sharing authentic, unedited moments from daily life, without editing or filters.

In the past, SNS evolved toward connecting with more people, but recently, there is a growing trend to seek deeper, more meaningful relationships. Millennials & Gen Z, who are most familiar with the digital environment, may already realize that the quality of relationships is more important than the quantity.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.