Social media messages may help counter youth loneliness epidemic by encouraging real-world connection

Loneliness among young adults has reached what the U.S. surgeon general has called an "epidemic," with recent estimates suggesting that roughly half of U.S. adults report feeling lonely, and rates are particularly high among people ages 18–29.

A new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, appearing in the Journal of Adolescent Health, explores how social media itself can be used to address the problem. ...