This is the paradox of the Facebook age: We have an unmatched ability to connect with other people through social networks, yet we still "suffer from unprecedented alienation," says Stephan Marche in The Atlantic. Evidence from the growing body of loneliness research seems to suggest that the two trends are almost certainly connected. While American tradition holds that there's nothing wrong with a little individualistic solitude, the isolation of superficial connections with hundreds of Facebook "friends" might just be too much for us to handle. But is it fair to blame Facebook for turning us into a nation of Eleanor Rigbys?
No, but lonely people are drawn to Facebook: "Facebook isn't making us lonely," says Walter Frick in BostInno. Most research shows, in fact, that already social people are social online, and loners are loners in both real and virtual life. Marche makes a convincing case that "lonely people are more attracted to the internet," and Facebook can "attract and reflect loneliness." But if you're lonely, get offline and go talk to someone face-to-face. Don't blame the internet.
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