SOCIAL NETWORKING AND THE EXPERIENCE OF LONELINESS

This paper addresses the issue of social networks and loneliness in young adulthood. The aim of the paper is to analyse the possible association between feelings of loneliness and the use of social networks. A total of 206 people (162 women and 44 men) participated in the research with an average age of 22.6 years. There were three data collection instruments used in the study. The first was the Social Networking and Instagram Activity scale designed to measure social networking behaviours and Instagram in particular. The results show that there is an association between loneliness and social networking in young adulthood. The topic requires a more thorough exploration in future research.