The study was led by the University of Pittsburgh’s Dr. Brian Primack, who believes it was the first large scale analysis of social media use and social isolation in the US.
Participants were asked how socially isolated they felt and how often they used apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube. Ironically, the research suggests that people who are more connected digitally, feel more socially detached.
“Compared with those in the lowest quarter for frequently checking social media, people in the top quarter were about three times as likely to have increased social isolation,” Primack told CBS news.
The study also showed the average time spent on social media was an hour a day, and people who spent more than two hours a day had around twice the odds of feeling isolated than those spending less than 30 minutes a day.
So there's the proof that likes, follows and refreshing your feed 78049 times in one hour does not equal happiness.