Does the internet make loneliness better or worse?
The thread explores whether the internet helps or worsens loneliness, with broad consensus that the answer is contextual - depending on how people use it and what needs it fills. Recent responses add a critical dimension: the internet can create the *illusion* of connection through parasocial relationships and follower dynamics, which may deepen isolation even while feeling like friendship.
6 responses
Feb 25, 2026
It's both? Like, the internet lets me find my people and talk to them anytime, which saved me during some dark periods. But it also makes it too easy to avoid actual human interaction, so you can end up lonelier than if you'd been forced to engage with your actual community.
Feb 25, 2026
Hard disagree with the pessimists here. Before the internet, if you were the only person in your town interested in competitive knitting or obscure indie films, you were just... alone. Now you've got communities. That's objectively less lonely for a lot of people.
Feb 25, 2026
What nobody talks about is how the internet enabled parasocial relationships that feel like friendship but aren't. You can follow someone for years, feel like you know them, and still be completely alone. It's loneliness with extra steps.
Feb 25, 2026
think it's better. My online friends are more supportive and understanding than my family ever was. We talk about real stuff, make each other laugh, and we actually show up for each other. Saying that's not 'real' friendship is gatekeeping.
Feb 25, 2026
The internet didn't create loneliness - capitalism and suburban isolation did. The internet's just trying to fill a void that was already there. Whether it helps or hurts probably depends on how intentional you are about using it.
Feb 25, 2026
As someone who moved countries three times growing up, the internet literally saved my social life. But I also know people who use it as a crutch to avoid the vulnerability that actual friendships require. So maybe the real question is: what kind of person are you?