Psychologists Link 4 Studies to Media’s Loneliness Buffer as 2 in 3 Men Chose Shocks Over Silence
Updated
Updated · Silicon Canals · Aug 23
Psychologists Link 4 Studies to Media’s Loneliness Buffer as 2 in 3 Men Chose Shocks Over Silence
2 articles · Updated · Silicon Canals · Aug 23
Summary
Four studies found people turn to favorite TV shows when lonely and feel less lonely while watching; even thinking about a favored show softened mood and self-esteem drops after conflict.
A PLOS ONE study reported that podcast listening hours alone predicted almost nothing, while one-sided bonds with hosts drove a stronger sense of relatedness.
Eleven University of Virginia studies in 2014 showed many people disliked sitting alone with their thoughts for 6 to 15 minutes; in one test, two-thirds of men and a quarter of women chose mild electric shocks instead.
Researchers caution that this “social surrogacy” can genuinely comfort people isolated by illness or circumstance, but may also mute loneliness’s signal and reduce real-world social contact over time.