Does the internet increase or decrease loneliness?

[noname223]

Maybe it is important to differentiate between my personal experience with the general influence. As a person with a lot of social problems the internet is an amazing valve. In real life I am extremely obsessed what other people think of me. When I write here I care way less (though probably still way more than others). The internet helps me to stay connected with my support network and friends. Talking to my friends helps so much. Writing here anonymous in this forum helps also a lot. I love the internet because it makes education often even for free available. The internet improved my life so much. I love the internet.

Though I know the contra arguments. The internet leads to alienation and might increase the loneliness due to the loss of human interaction. Maybe my sanity was better without the internet??? I would be forced to more social interactions and this could improve my social awkwardness. I am sometimes so much of a weirdo that I feel ashamed a lot. I try to tell me noone cares about strangers. Or at least I am eloquent. I hope for this notion of a crazy genius. Though probably solely thinking about that proves rather the point that I am just insane and not a genuis. Lol.

I think I would rather fall into a deep isolation without the internet. I feel way too uncomfortable surrounded by humans. Though it is true that the so-called "social" media are pretty toxic for our societies. But if I had to choose between real world contact with strangers or social media I would still go for the latter one. I am overthinkig social interactions way too much. After being exposed to the public I often need a huge break to renew my energy. Afterwards I am often overthininking. And I know for sure that if I don't get these breaks I can become psychotic.

What do you think is the answer to the question of the title?

 

[befree]

increase

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

All forms of media increase the capacity for feeling loneliness by reminding one of how lonely they are by showing other people, real or fictional, who are not lonely themselves. Taking away the internet entirely won't delete all loneliness and neither would giving it to everyone.

 

[WorthlessTrash]

Neither, it just magnifies it.

 

[onlyanimalsaregood]

All forms of media increase the capacity for feeling loneliness by reminding one of how lonely they are by showing other people, real or fictional, who are not lonely themselves. Taking away the internet entirely won't delete all loneliness and neither would giving it to everyone.

I agree. It definitely increases. That's why I deleted all my social media accounts some months ago.

 

[jesse]

The internet lets me ignore my isolation and also reminds me of it. It let's me fantasize and it grounds me. It connects me to people and makes me feel disconnected. A strange invention to be sure.

 

[FuneralCry]

I think that maybe the internet increases loneliness. I agree that social media sounds toxic, as it does not often reflect reality. It can remind people of what they are unable to have by seeing the way others appear to be and I guess that this can make people feel more isolated. I also feel like on the internet, it is hard to know what is genuine, and I also think that interacting on the internet, is not the same as real life interactions.

I think that for me personally, I never really get lonely, as I would prefer to be alone. But being on the internet never really makes me feel better, it is just a way to pass time and that is all.

 

[Someone123]

I do think it helps more than it harms, but it is complicated in how it affects things.

 

[Hercules]

I think that it increases loneliness. People spend too much time online. There is a big difference between socializing online and in person. Before the internet, people had to leave the house and meet people in person if they wanted to connect with other people. They had a real connection to other people. Now people spend a large part of the day online. Even when they are in public and around other people, they walk around glued to their devices and don't socialize and connect with other people. Everyone is isolated and in their own world. People are social creatures and need real contact with other people to be happy. Online interactions with others by itself isn't enough.

 

[freedompass]

I would say it does both. I love the internet, possibly more than most younger people do, because it only became a thing when I was 30 plus. I'm grateful I grew up with real life interactions. Growing up nowadays there's every chance my social development could have been stunted as I would gravitate more and more to the supposed 'comfort zone' of online interactions.

On the other hand I genuinely do find those interactions satisfy most of my need for companionship and connection. I have real life stuff too such as my support group and meeting the odd friend, plus phone calls. I talk to a lot of young people online who really struggle with isolation and missing out on human touch. I feel sad for them because at that age it's a real deprivation whereas for me at 60, not so much.

 

[Graham]

Maybe it is important to differentiate between my personal experience with the general influence. As a person with a lot of social problems the internet is an amazing valve. In real life I am extremely obsessed what other people think of me. When I write here I care way less (though probably still way more than others). The internet helps me to stay connected with my support network and friends. Talking to my friends helps so much. Writing here anonymous in this forum helps also a lot. I love the internet because it makes education often even for free available. The internet improved my life so much. I love the internet.

Though I know the contra arguments. The internet leads to alienation and might increase the loneliness due to the loss of human interaction. Maybe my sanity was better without the internet??? I would be forced to more social interactions and this could improve my social awkwardness. I am sometimes so much of a weirdo that I feel ashamed a lot. I try to tell me noone cares about strangers. Or at least I am eloquent. I hope for this notion of a crazy genius. Though probably solely thinking about that proves rather the point that I am just insane and not a genuis. Lol.

I think I would rather fall into a deep isolation without the internet. I feel way too uncomfortable surrounded by humans. Though it is true that the so-called "social" media are pretty toxic for our societies. But if I had to choose between real world contact with strangers or social media I would still go for the latter one. I am overthinkig social interactions way too much. After being exposed to the public I often need a huge break to renew my energy. Afterwards I am often overthininking. And I know for sure that if I don't get these breaks I can become psychotic.

What do you think is the answer to the question of the title?

As to the title - it's very hard to answer

I have found 'friendship' via both internet and real world

Not sure this is the best place to find friends

 

[indica]

Both.

 

[odradek]

I think it increases it without question.

 

[settheory]

For some it decreases, for some it increases, for some makes no difference.

 

[Lost Magic]

tbh, I would rather talk to people online than feel awkward sitting in company for extended periods of time. It drains me to talk about shit in front of somebody's face. I know that this, in a large part, stems from my illnesses but I just can't mingle well anymore. Plus, I don't want to be in the world much longer anyway, so what's the point?

 

[MicropBaldCurrycel]

it helps me not feel lonely, theres many people to connect with and chat to. Many general interests we can speak about and i feel not alone. Theres a whole world on the net, so much to see, do and chat about.

I never have to see another person in real life again and id never feel lonely .

 

[LucieInTheDark]

The only reason I've ever had friends is thanks to the internet. If it weren't because of it, I'd be so lonely... I don't even want to think about it

 

[Afrod22]

The internet makes things more lonely in my opinion, I guess it depends if you crave physical interactions or not.

 

[QuietLake]

Tough question. In many ways, it increases my loneliness. It often reminds me that I don't have much to say or offer and even if I did, it takes a lot of effort and confidence to say it. It sometimes makes the world seem more isolating too.

 

[waitingforrest]

It increases my lonelinesss in a strange comforting way. In the real world, people seem to hide all their problems, unable to connect to people they hate; hating just for the sake of hating.

But on the internet, the stories people share, the music and art they create, comforts me more than talking to people, it's weird that strangers on the internet understand me more than people that have known me since birth.



It's a lonely-unlonely feeling. It's the unfiltered honestly that it feels as if I am reading my own thoughts, all the words I could never say in the real world. The knowledge that someone else thinks the same way, in a world that tries to ''fix the bad things'' in people. Reminds me that what I'm feeling is a natural human reaction to all the horrible events in my life.



(Also endless cat videos is a welcomed bonus)

 

[ornitier199]

The internet provided me resources on working suicide methods I cannot find in any book.

 

[Julgran]

Maybe it is important to differentiate between my personal experience with the general influence. As a person with a lot of social problems the internet is an amazing valve. In real life I am extremely obsessed what other people think of me. When I write here I care way less (though probably still way more than others). The internet helps me to stay connected with my support network and friends. Talking to my friends helps so much. Writing here anonymous in this forum helps also a lot. I love the internet because it makes education often even for free available. The internet improved my life so much. I love the internet.

Though I know the contra arguments. The internet leads to alienation and might increase the loneliness due to the loss of human interaction. Maybe my sanity was better without the internet??? I would be forced to more social interactions and this could improve my social awkwardness. I am sometimes so much of a weirdo that I feel ashamed a lot. I try to tell me noone cares about strangers. Or at least I am eloquent. I hope for this notion of a crazy genius. Though probably solely thinking about that proves rather the point that I am just insane and not a genuis. Lol.

I think I would rather fall into a deep isolation without the internet. I feel way too uncomfortable surrounded by humans. Though it is true that the so-called "social" media are pretty toxic for our societies. But if I had to choose between real world contact with strangers or social media I would still go for the latter one. I am overthinkig social interactions way too much. After being exposed to the public I often need a huge break to renew my energy. Afterwards I am often overthininking. And I know for sure that if I don't get these breaks I can become psychotic.

What do you think is the answer to the question of the title?

Personally, I see the Internet as whatever people thought the Terminator movies represented - the end of human life - eventually, meaning that it is a disruptive piece of technology.

 

[Niko66]

For me it's both. I live in a third world country where mental health and LGBTQ+ issues are a topic of mockery so the first times in my life I found people who helped me and accepted me for who I am and not who I am supposed to be were miles and miles away that I would have never met without the internet and would have kept feeling completely misunderstood and alienated by those around me. Before I found them I considered myself essentially completely worthless and subhuman. Not anymore.

But the way media and social media, dating apps and so on has spread out like a wildfire has made social connections like conveniences you pick up from a grocery store and throw away just as easily as there's always more people to know a few swipes or clicks away. I guess as any other "commodity" the less scarce it is, the less value a single unit has, but in a case like mine it has had the potential to help as much as it has done harm.

 

[Marine]

I would be long dead without the internet, and that wouldn't have been a peaceful death. It's all I currently have to survive and that's never kept me from the physical world, it's always helped me go towards it whenever I was able to go outside.

 

[Tortured_empath]

Both haha