Loneliness, Social Media and Coping Strategies: Lived Experiences of Emerging Adults

Loneliness is mainly considered a problem of the elderly; however, recent evidence highlights the vulnerability of emerging adults. The present study aimed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the lived experience of loneliness, along with its association with social media and various coping strategies among emerging adults. Data were collected from 16 participants (male = 12) between 18 and 27 years. Participant selection was based on moderate to high levels of loneliness found across three dimensions of loneliness: family, romantic and social, using the social and emotional loneliness scale. Participants were interviewed using an in-depth, semi-structured interview schedule, which consisted of open-ended questions and associated probes regarding loneliness, social media usage and coping strategies. Each interview was recorded and transcribed verbatim with additional field notes. The interview transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The major themes elicited were (a) experience of loneliness, which included subthemes of negative feelings associated with loneliness and the negative outcomes of loneliness; (b) typology of loneliness included subthemes of social, existential, temporal and romantic loneliness; (c) engagement on social media, which included subthemes of active initiation and passive consumption; (d) coping strategies to alleviate the ill-effects of loneliness, which included subthemes of interpersonal coping and intrapersonal coping and (e) reintegration: ways to socially reconnect. The findings highlight the nuanced and multifaceted role of loneliness at this pivotal life stage.