A vast survey conducted by Laura Marciano, researcher at Harvard, among 500 adolescents draws the contours of a paradoxically disconnected generation. More than half of them regularly go an hour without any social interaction, either online or in real life.
For several weeks, the participants, recruited via Instagram influencers, documented their social interactions three times a day. The observation is edifying: even during school holidays and despite intensive use of social networks, the majority of them lived in worrying social isolation. Is Australia on the right track, which has banned the use of networks for those under 16?
The trap of virtual comparisons
Dr. Vivek Murthy, surgeon in the USA, does not hesitate to call loneliness a national epidemic. The research carried out by his team highlights a complex phenomenon where technology, without being directly responsible, fuels behaviors conducive to isolation.
The analysis of thirty studies carried out during the pandemic reveals a particularly pernicious mechanism: social comparison on networks. Whether it is the counting of “ I like “, physical appearance or personal achievements, these constant comparisons can generate a feeling of inadequacy and isolation. Professor Chia-chen Yang of the University of Oklahoma, however, points out that not all comparisons are harmful – some can even be motivating in an academic or professional context.
The tyranny of the instant
The study also highlights the limits of instant written communication. While teenagers overwhelmingly favor text messages, only 2% of them use video calls. This preference for the written word deprives exchanges of the nuances essential to a true human connection: paralinguistics (tone of voice, volume, rhythm, etc.) facial expressions or body language.
Dr. Marciano then asks: “ How can you feel a true connection with someone without full communication? » This evolution of practices manifests itself even in the simplest rituals : traditional birthday calls are now often reduced to a laconic “ HBD » (Happy Birthday) sent by message.
The gear of solitary entertainment
A third factor of isolation emerges: compulsive consumption of streaming content. Dr. Marc Potenza, an addiction expert at Yale, observes that “ binge-watching » (watching several episodes of a television series in a row, usually on a streaming platform, without interruption) is frequently accompanied by depressive and anxiety symptoms.
This phenomenon, initially associated with Netflix, is of course extending to the surge of highly addictive short formats from TikTok and Instagram, Reels. More than just a hobby, this practice can become a social avoidance mechanismthus creating a vicious cycle of isolation.
Emily Weinstein, specialist in the digital practices of adolescents, worried about a new trend : the growing use of AI chatbots as substitutes for human relationships. She testifies: “ Teenagers tell us things like: “This robot really listens to me; people are mean and judge you, but AI tools don’t. I wonder what this will look like in the future. “. We can only understand this concern raised by the researcher.
If loneliness is one of our modern ills, then the real miracle of tech was to give it a new face. With so many tools and platforms to stay in touch, it almost seems like a self-inflicted inevitability. Perhaps technology, deep down, is just a mirror of our own relational and societal failures, offering us the perfect companionship: silent, without judgment but above all terribly empty.
- A survey reveals that more than half of adolescents spend hours without social interaction, despite heavy use of networks.
- Online social comparison and preference for written communication further reinforce their isolation.
- Digital loneliness is accentuated by binge-watching and the use of AI chatbots as substitutes for human relationships.
