The Correlation Between Media Consumption and Loneliness: The Case of Young People in Portugal

Currently, digital media allows individuals to be constantly connected, however, physical interpersonal relationships and interactions that are not mediated by digital platforms are increasingly rare. This generates worrisome levels of loneliness and social alienation, especially in young people who have grown up in a digital world. To understand whether there is a relationship between media consumption and loneliness amongst young people in Portugal, this study statistically relates these two variables. The investigation used a sample of 337 participants and the data was collected through a survey built in two parts, one with the UCLA Loneliness Scale and another with media consumption habits. The investigation outcomes show that young people mostly carry out their media consumption in the new media and that it is on social media that they spend more time daily. It also allows us to conclude that young people who spend more time daily streaming and gaming online have a higher rate of loneliness. Positive and negative relationships are also identified between the rate of loneliness of young people and the habits they tend to practice when they feel lonely or bored.