How do teenagers use social media to cope with loneliness?

Jun 4, 2019

Technology is so pervasive it may seem as if teens spend more time on social networking sites than in real conversations with friends. New research challenges that assumption and finds some teens, especially when they feel lonely, prefer face-to-face interactions over social media. Iowa State University research Rui Chen explains why their preference depends on their coping strategies, and why gender in this study matters.