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Does Social Media Cause Social Isolation?

A phone with social media apps
Ryan Caron King
/
WNPR

Are you constantly pulling out your phone to check that notification from Instagram or Facebook? If so, you’re not alone—nearly seven in ten American adults are on social media, according to a recent Pew survey.

This hour: social media has made our world smaller, but do virtual networks make us feel more connected? A recent study found that those who spend more time on social media actually tend to feel more socially isolated. We ask researchers and a psychiatrist why.

And the UK is treating loneliness as a major public health issue in that country. Is social media part of the problem or part of the solution?

Also , Facebook and Twitter have been making headlines for how they’ve been used to manipulate Americans on a variety of issues. Has news of automated bots spreading ‘fake news’ impacted the way you use social media?

GUESTS:

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Chion Wolf contributed to this show.

Lucy leads Connecticut Public's strategies to deeply connect and build collaborations with community-focused organizations across the state.
Carmen Baskauf was a producer for Connecticut Public Radio's news-talk show Where We Live, hosted by Lucy Nalpathanchil from 2017-2021. She has also contributed to The Colin McEnroe Show.

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