Older Adults Who Actively Share Daily Life on SNS "Feel Lonelier"

Implications for the Need for Healthy SNS Usage Guidance

People who actively share their daily lives on social networking services (SNS) are more likely to feel lonely compared to those who do not, according to a recent study.

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On October 5, a research team led by Professor Kyungbok Min from the Department of Preventive Medicine at Seoul National University College of Medicine analyzed the link between SNS usage and loneliness among 34,142 adults residing in Seoul (average age 52.3) who participated in the 2024 Seoul Survey. Among them, 25,134 participants said they used SNS.

The research team asked participants whether they felt lonely in relationships with family or others outside their family. If they answered yes to either question, they were classified as "feeling lonely." As a result, 28.2% of all respondents reported experiencing loneliness. The figure was higher in those aged 60 and above at 33.5%. The rate was lowest among people in their 20s at 22.8%.

SNS usage patterns were analyzed in five domains: active sharing, information seeking, communication focus, social comparison, and feelings of alienation. Among users who actively shared their daily lives on SNS, 30.1% reported loneliness. Among those who did not, only 23.3% felt lonely.

Similar patterns emerged among users who engaged in social comparison or felt alienated on SNS. Of those who felt other people on SNS seemed happier than themselves, 34.4% reported loneliness. Among those who felt alienated, 37.5% said they felt lonely. In contrast, the proportions were lower among those who did not feel this way, at 22.9% and 22.4%, respectively.

The association between problematic SNS usage patterns and loneliness appeared to become stronger when three or more problematic behaviors were present.

In particular, the link between active sharing of daily life and loneliness was not statistically significant for those aged 20 to 59. However, the relationship was pronounced in people aged 60 and above. The research team pointed out the possibility that the elderly may be more vulnerable to the negative aspects of SNS use, highlighting the need for tailored guidance for this demographic.

The research findings were published in Volume 59, Issue 4 (2026) of the international journal Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, published by the Korean Society for Preventive Medicine.

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