scholarly journals The Structure of Social Networks and Its Link to Higher Education Students’ Socio-Emotional Loneliness During COVID-19

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel D. S. Hopp ◽  
Marion Händel ◽  
Svenja Bedenlier ◽  
Michaela Glaeser-Zikuda ◽  
Rudolf Kammerl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Digital Information ◽  
Egocentric Networks ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Sharing Behavior ◽  
Close Contacts ◽  
Social Loneliness

Lonely students typically underperform academically. According to several studies, the COVID-19 pandemic is an important risk factor for increases in loneliness, as the contact restrictions and the switch to mainly online classes potentially burden the students. The previously familiar academic environment (campus), as well as the exchange with peers and lecturers on site, were no longer made available. In our cross-sectional study, we examine factors that could potentially counteract the development of higher education student loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic from a social network perspective. During the semester, N = 283 students from across all institutional faculties of a German comprehensive university took part in an online survey. We surveyed their social and emotional experiences of loneliness, their self-reported digital information-sharing behavior, and their current egocentric networks. Here, we distinguished between close online contacts (i.e., mainly online exchanges) and close offline contacts (i.e., mainly in-person face-to-face exchanges). In addition, we derived the interconnectedness (i.e., the densities of the egocentric networks) and heterogeneity (operationalized with the entropy) of students’ contacts. To obtain the latter, we used a novel two-step method combining t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) and cluster analysis. We explored the associations of the aforementioned predictors (i.e., information-sharing behavior, number of online and offline contacts, as well as interconnectedness and heterogeneity of the close contacts network) on social and emotional loneliness separately using two hierarchical multiple linear regression models. Our results suggest that social loneliness is strongly related to digital information-sharing behavior and the network structure of close contacts. In particular, high information-sharing behavior, high number of close contacts (whether offline or online), a highly interconnected network, and a homogeneous structure of close contacts were associated with low social loneliness. Emotional loneliness, on the other hand, was mainly related to network homogeneity, in the sense that students with homogeneous close contacts networks experienced low emotional loneliness. Overall, our study highlights the central role of students’ close social network on feelings of loneliness in the context of COVID-19 restrictions. Limitations and implications are discussed.

scholarly journals The Structure of Social Networks and Its Link to Higher Education Students' Socio-Emotional Loneliness During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel D.S. Hopp ◽  
Marion Händel ◽  
Svenja Bedenlier ◽  
Michaela Gläser-Zikuda ◽  
Rudolf Kammerl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Education Student ◽  
Emotional Experiences ◽  
Egocentric Networks ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
The Impact

Lonely students typically underperform academically. According to several studies, the COVID-19 pandemic is an important risk factor for increases in loneliness, as the contact restrictions and the switch to mainly online classes potentially burden the students. The previously familiar academic environment (campus) as well as the exchange with peers and lecturers on site were no longer made available. In our study, we examine factors that could potentially counteract the development of higher education student loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic from a social network perspective. During the semester, N = 283 students from across all institutional faculties of a German comprehensive university took part in an online survey. We surveyed their social and emotional experiences of loneliness, their self-reported digital skills, and their current egocentric networks. We distinguished between close online contacts (i.e., mainly online exchanges) and close offline contacts (i.e., mainly in situ exchanges). In addition, we derived the interconnectedness (i.e., the densities of the egocentric networks) and diversity (operationalized with the entropy) of students’ contacts. The results of correlation analyses and hierarchical linear regressions indicate that strong digital skills are related to both a higher number of online contacts and to lower social and emotional experiences of loneliness. Regardless of whether offline or online, the number of reported contacts is indicative of a lower experience of social loneliness. A well-connected network related to lower experiences of social but not emotional loneliness. Finally, findings suggest that homogenous networks tend to be related with lower experiences of both social and emotional loneliness. Overall, our study indicates that barriers to online communication might be mitigating factors to consider when assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student loneliness.

scholarly journals Worry about debt is related to social loneliness in older adults in the Netherlands

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Cäzilia Loibl ◽  
Madeleine A. Drost ◽  
Martijn Huisman ◽  
Bianca Suanet ◽  
Wändi Bruine de Bruin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Network Size ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Debt Burden ◽  
Social Network Size ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Social Loneliness

Abstract The amount of financial debt held by older adults has grown substantially over the past two decades in Europe. This study examines the association of objective and subjective debt burden with social and emotional loneliness among 1,606 older adults in the Netherlands. Objective debt burden is based on financial terms, such as debt-to-income ratio; whereas subjective debt burden measures the psychological distress caused by financial debt. Data are from the 2015/2016 wave of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. First, we use means-comparison tests to examine whether older adults who experience social and emotional loneliness differ from older adults who do not experience loneliness regarding their subjective and objective debt burdens. Subsequently, using linear regression models we address two questions: whether social loneliness and emotional loneliness are associated with objective and subjective debt burden; and whether social participation, social network size, anxiety and depression mediate these relationships. We find that subjective debt burden (i.e. the worry related to debt) is a significant predictor of social loneliness, above and beyond the role of social and psychological measures. Objective debt burden, in contrast, is unrelated to social and emotional loneliness. Social participation, social network size, anxiety and depression do not mediate the debt-burden-to-loneliness relationships. The results point to the importance of subjective debt burden in understanding social loneliness and designing interventions.

scholarly journals Loneliness and Its Association With Social Media Use During the COVID-19 Outbreak

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 205630512110338
Author(s):  
Tore Bonsaksen ◽  
Mary Ruffolo ◽  
Janni Leung ◽  
Daicia Price ◽  
Hilde Thygesen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Social Loneliness

Social distancing rules during the COVID-19 pandemic changed social interaction for many and increased the risk of loneliness in the general population. Social media use has been ambiguously related to loneliness, and associations may differ by age. The study aimed to examine loneliness and its association with social media use within different age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia during April/May 2020, and 3,810 participants aged 18 years or above were recruited. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between social media use and social and emotional loneliness within separate age groups. Emotional loneliness was higher among young adults and among those who used social media several times daily. Adjusting by sociodemographic variables, using more types of social media was associated with lower social loneliness among the oldest participants, and with higher emotional loneliness among the youngest participants. Among middle-aged participants, using social media more frequently was associated with lower social loneliness. We found that the associations between social media use and loneliness varied by age. Older people’s engagement on social media may be a resource to reduce loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. We observed higher levels of loneliness among high-frequent social media users of younger age.

The older, the lonelier? Risk factors for social loneliness in old age

2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 1177-1196 ◽  
Author(s):  
LEEN HEYLEN
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Correct Identification ◽  
Attachment Figure ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Social Loneliness

ABSTRACTLoneliness is often associated with old age, but many studies have shown that the relationship is not straightforward. This paper seeks a better understanding of the impact of social isolation on feelings of loneliness among older people, by building on the theoretical and actual distinction between social and emotional loneliness. Social loneliness refers to a lack of feelings of social integration; emotional loneliness emerges in the absence of an attachment figure. This paper focuses on social loneliness and has two aims, first to disentangle the direct and intermediate effects of both the number and the quality of social relationships on social loneliness in old age, and second to detect the groups at risk of social loneliness by identifying which personal features correspond with which relational deficits and therefore indirectly increase the risk on social loneliness. Data are analysed for a sample of 1,414 respondents aged 55 or more years drawn from the Panel Study of Belgian Households conducted in 2000. The results confirm that improved understanding is gained by decomposing the interrelation between age and other background features, on the one hand, and the social relational features, on the other, as indirect and direct predictors of social loneliness. Generally, this approach promotes a correct identification of the groups at risk of social loneliness in old age.

scholarly journals PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES AND LONELINESS AMONG JAPANESE MIDLIFE AND OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S827-S827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Wang ◽  
Yihan Wang ◽  
Florian Kohlbacher ◽  
Ernest Gonzales
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Productive Aging ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Productive Activities ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Japanese Male ◽  
Male Caregivers ◽  
Social Loneliness

Abstract Background: Loneliness among older population is a public health concern shared worldwide. Using the motivational theory for life-span development, this study examined the associations between loneliness (social and emotional) and productive activities among midlife and older adults in Japan. Methods: The Japanese National Data on Lifestyle and Mental Health, a nationally representative sample of midlife and older adults (2011, N=1,575), were used to examine how employment, volunteering, helping family and friends, and informal caregiving was associated with social and emotional loneliness, controlling for multiple risk and protective factors. Results: Family caregiving was related to more social loneliness. Working, helping family, and volunteering were related to less emotional loneliness, while family caregiving was related to more emotional loneliness. Japanese male caregivers reported more social isolation compared to female caregivers. Face-to-face interactions reduced emotional loneliness among caregivers. Discussion: Findings underscored the nuanced difference of social loneliness and emotional loneliness. Social policies that advance productive aging should recognize “unintended consequences” and aim to protect older adults from social and emotional loneliness. Counselling services and social support programs specifically for Japanese male caregivers are warranted.

scholarly journals A Closer Look at Loneliness: Why Do First-Generation Migrants Feel More Lonely Than Their Native Dutch Counterparts?

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rowan L F ten Kate ◽  
Başak Bilecen ◽  
Nardi Steverink
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Household Composition ◽  
Social Activities ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Contact Frequency ◽  
First Generation Migrants ◽  
Design And Methods ◽  
Social Loneliness

Abstract Background and Objectives Along with the current aging demographics in the Netherlands, the number of older first-generation migrants is also increasing. Despite studies suggesting a higher quantity of social contacts of migrants, loneliness is more common among migrants as compared to native Dutch. We theorize that migrants experience more emotional and social loneliness due to a lower satisfaction with social relationships and lower participation in social activities, respectively, compared to their native counterparts. Research Design and Methods We use data from Statistics Netherlands (N = 7,920) with first-generation migrants aged 40 years and older and their Dutch counterparts. Contact frequency, household composition, satisfaction with social relationships, relationship quality with the partner, and social activities, are used as main predictors and separate regression models for social and emotional loneliness are analyzed. Results Compared to the native Dutch, first-generation migrants are both socially and emotionally more lonely. Migrants have a similar contact frequency as the native Dutch, but are less satisfied with their social relationships, which contributes to their higher emotional, social, and overall loneliness. Migrants engage less in social activities but this does not put them at additional risk of loneliness. Discussion and Implications Migrants experience more social and emotional loneliness and are less satisfied with their social relationships compared to their native counterparts. Interventions should focus on reducing both social and emotional loneliness among older migrants. Specific attention should be paid to fostering satisfying social interactions. Additionally, encouraging migrants to broaden their social network may reduce social loneliness.

scholarly journals Social and emotional loneliness among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: the predictive role of coping behaviours, social support, and personal resilience

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leodoro J. Labrague ◽  
Janet Alexis A. De los Santos ◽  
Charlie Falguera
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
College Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Coping Behaviors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Personal Resilience ◽  
Design And Methods ◽  
Social Loneliness

Abstract ObjectiveTo determine the influence of coping behaviors, resilience, and social support on students' emotional and social loneliness during the COVID‐19 pandemic.Design and MethodsA cross‐sectional research design was used to gather data from 303 college students from the Central Philippines using four standardized scales through an online survey.FindingsLoneliness among students was high during the coronavirus pandemic. Resilience, coping behaviors, and social support were identified as protective factors against loneliness.Practice ImplicationsInterventions directed toward increasing resilience, social support, and coping behaviors may help decrease emotional and social loneliness caused by the mandatory lockdown during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

scholarly journals EMPOWERING VULNERABLE GROUPS IN LATER LIFE: FOCUS ON THE ROLE OF ACTIVITIES, SOCIAL NETWORK, AND ROUND-THE-CLOCK CARE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S577-S577
Author(s):  
An-Sofie Smetcoren ◽  
G A Rixt Zijlstra
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Ageing In Place ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Aging Populations

Abstract Europe has been challenged with an intense rise of aging populations facing for example multiple chronic health problems, functional limitations and social and psychological challenges. With increasing age people may become vulnerable, nevertheless, they can still report high levels of well-being despite their deficits. Older adults’ strengths and resources can balance negative experiences and increase positive well-being outcomes. These resources can be personal (e.g. have sufficient income) or stemming from the social environment of the older person (e.g. an involved social network). Hence, this symposium focusses on these strengths and resources and how they might (positively) affect the well-being of vulnerable groups ageing in place. The main objective of the symposium is to give insights into different aspects and strategies that can protect older adults against negative outcomes. Four different studies from Belgium will be presented: Sarah Dury starts with explaining the potential buffering predictor of leisure and civic activities, by uncovering the mechanisms underlying the relationship between multidimensional frailty and well-being. Lise Switsers examines if the absence of social and emotional loneliness can act as a buffer to maintain a good well-being for older adults at risk of frailty. An-Sofie Smetcoren examines how ‘living in solidarity’ in a co-housing project can contribute to ageing in place. Finally, Sylvia Hoens explores the experiences of the older care users and their informal caregivers with live-in migrant care workers and examines how this care can increase their well-being.

Humor Styles and Loneliness: A Study among Hong Kong and Hangzhou Undergraduates

2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Dong Yue ◽  
Ashley Yuen Man Wong ◽  
Neelam Arjan Hiranandani
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Humor Styles ◽  
Mainland Chinese ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Hong Kong Students ◽  
Aggressive Humor ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Social Loneliness

This study examined the relationship between humor styles and loneliness among a sample of Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese. A total of 159 Hong Kong undergraduates and 178 Hangzhou undergraduates were recruited to complete a survey composed of the Humor Styles Questionnaire and the Emotional and Social Loneliness Scales. Multiple regression analyses showed that self-defeating humor explained significant variance in both social and emotional loneliness for Hong Kong students, but only in social loneliness for Hangzhou students. Hong Kong students scored significantly higher on aggressive humor and self-defeating humor, and scored significantly lower on affiliative humor and self-enhancing humor than did their counterparts in Hangzhou. This could be attributed to the greater influence of Confucianism in Mainland China than in Hong Kong.

scholarly journals All Social Media Is Not Created Equal: Instagram, Finsta, and Loneliness

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Schoenfeld ◽  
Katherine L Fiori
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Potential Mediator ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Linear Regressions ◽  
Social Loneliness

Research on the relationships between social media use and loneliness has produced mixed findings, in part because people use social media in different ways. Finsta is a private Instagram account followed only by a small group of the user’s friends and is considered to be a more authentic form of social media. The purpose of the present study was to examine the differential associations of Instagram and Finsta use with social and emotional loneliness and to investigate off-line engagement as a potential mediator of these associations. With data from an online survey given to <em>N</em> = 330 emerging adults, a series of hierarchical linear regressions showed that Instagram use negatively predicted and Finsta use positively predicted social loneliness, whereas neither were associated with emotional loneliness. Furthermore, whereas Finsta use was not associated with off-line social engagement with friends (OSE-friend), Instagram use was positively associated with this variable. In addition, results showed that off-line social support with friends partially mediated the relationship between Instagram use and social loneliness. The findings imply that all social media are not created equal; even within the same platform (Instagram), differential associations were found with social loneliness depending on the type of account used.

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