From: Does social media usage ameliorate loneliness in rural youth? A cross sectional pilot study
Demographics | Frequency (%) |
---|---|
Age (n = 41) | |
 16—20 | 18 (43.9) |
 21—24 | 23 (56.1) |
Gender | |
 Male | 15 (31.9) |
 Female | 32 (68.1) |
Rurality (n = 45) | |
 Metropolitan | 15 (33.3) |
 Regional | 26 (57.8) |
 Remote | 4 (8.9) |
Household composition | |
 Lives alone | 7 (14.9) |
 Lives with other, not parents | 19 (40.4) |
 Lives with parents | 21 (44.7) |
Employment status | |
 Unemployed | 9 (19.1) |
 < 20 h of employment per week | 16 (34.0) |
 > 20 h of employment per week | 22 (46.8) |
Education level | |
 Certificate or diploma | 21 (44.7) |
 Graduate studies | 26 (55.3) |
Social media factors | |
Time spent using social media per week (n = 44) | |
 0—10 h | 17 (38.6) |
 11—20 h | 12 (27.3) |
 21—30 h | 9 (20.5) |
 > 30 h | 6 (13.6) |
Facebook as most used social media (n = 46) | |
 Yes | 22 (47.8) |
 No | 24 (52.2) |
Use within 10Â min of waking | |
 Daily | 19 (40.4) |
 A few times per week | 20 (42.6) |
 Once per week | 0 (0.0) |
 A few times per month | 5 (10.6) |
 Never | 3 (6.4) |
How often do you send a private message, image, or video on social media? | |
 Multiple times a day | 36 (76.6) |
 Multiple times a week | 7 (14.9) |
 Multiple times a month | 2 (4.3) |
 Less than once a month | 2 (4.3) |
How often do you post a public message, image or video on social media? | |
 Multiple times a day | 2 (4.3) |
 Multiple times a week | 8 (17.0) |
 Multiple times a month | 19 (40.4) |
 Less than once a month | 18 (38.3) |
How often do you look at your friends' profiles or social media accounts? | |
 Multiple times a day | 9 (19.1) |
 Multiple times a week | 14 (29.8) |
 Multiple times a month | 13 (27.7) |
 Less than once a month | 11 (23.4) |
How often do you browse profiles or social media accounts of people you do not know? | |
 Multiple times a day | 8 (17.0) |
 Multiple times a week | 14 (29.8) |
 Multiple times a month | 10 (21.3) |
 Less than once a month | 15 (31.9) |
How often do you post content other than pictures such as links, games, news or webpages? | |
 Multiple times a day | 2 (4.3) |
 Multiple times a week | 3 (6.4) |
 Multiple times a month | 13 (27.7) |
 Less than once a month | 29 (61.7) |
Main outcomes | |
K6 scores—Psychological distress | |
 < 19 (mild-moderate) | 15 (31.9) |
 19 + (severe distress) | 32 (68.1) |
Loneliness scores | |
Social lonelinessa | |
 0 | 14 (29.8) |
 1 | 11 (23.4) |
 2 | 7 (14.9) |
 3 | 15 (31.9) |
Emotional lonelinessa | |
 0 | 13 (27.7) |
 1 | 13 (27.7) |
 2 | 10 (21.3) |
 3 | 11 (23.4) |