Examining the Relationship Between Individuals’ Digital Addictions and Loneliness Levels: A Meta-Analysis Study

Abstract

The goal of this study, which examines the relationship between loneliness and various types of digital addiction increasingly frequent due to the impact of technology on our lives today, is to reach a general conclusion based on the literature. The relationships between internet addiction, smartphone addiction, social media addiction, digital game addiction, and loneliness, which are the most common types of digital addiction, were examined in this study. The study comprised studies conducted in a sample of Turkey, written in Turkish or English, and providing numerical data that might be used to calculate the effect size. One hundred four correlation values from 101 studies were examined, and publication bias, heterogeneity, and effect size ( r ) values of the relationship between each addiction type and loneliness were determined using these inclusion criteria. The study found that there was no publication bias in the studies on the relationships between loneliness and internet addiction, smartphone addiction, social media addiction, and digital game addiction that were analyzed within the scope of the study. Furthermore, there was a heterogeneous distribution in the research of each type of digital addiction whose relationship with loneliness were examined. According to the findings, loneliness and internet addiction, smartphone addiction, and digital game addiction have a positive and weak relationship. Moreover, a moderate positive relationship was found between loneliness and social media addiction. In the study, it was concluded that individuals who are alone in Turkey have more digital addictions. The research findings were discussed by examining previous studies in the literature.