DIGITAL LONELINESS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXPLORATION

Abstract

The social life of university students is usually based on digital connectivity; nevertheless, additional online interaction does not often safeguard against loneliness. This study examines the experiences of active students in higher learning institutions on digital loneliness using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Semi-structured interviews of in-depth nature were deployed and a purposive sample consisting of fifteen undergraduate and graduate students who indicated high levels of social and digital engagement and continued experiencing loneliness was taken to interview. To answer the purpose of establishing how the participants made meaning to their emotional experiences in digitally mediated relationships, the data were analyzed by IPA guidelines.

The analysis showed that there were four superordinate themes, which include Paradox of digital connection, Emotional impact of digital loneliness, Social comparison and pressure and Coping and meaning- making. The participants reported a high level of social and online activity, but at the same time, the participants reported that they felt emotionally disconnected, socially isolated and disinterested in their relationships. Results emphasize the uniqueness of loneliness in the digital era and dispute the beliefs that social activity is equivalent to emotional bondage. The work is a positive addition to the qualitative knowledge on digital loneliness and emphasizes the importance of university-based interventions that will continue to foster meaningful interpersonal interaction and digital well-being.