Online Social Support - an Adjunct or Substitute for Traditional Social Support: Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: In contrast to all previous generations, life today is lived both in-person and online. This creates both opportunities and risks to mental health and well-being. Social interaction is no longer geographically constrained, yet the anonymity and impersonality of social media create new problems. To quote Mike Tyson (July 2020), "Social media have made y'all way too comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it." OBJECTIVE: This study set out to propose and test a hypothesized model to identify both direct and indirect predictors of life satisfaction. Independent or predictor variables included social media use, loneliness, and online and traditional social support. METHODS: From March 2024 to October 2024, a total of 112 adults in the United States were recruited online and proceeded to complete study questionnaires. Participants were aged 42.62 (SD 12.74) years on average, had completed an average of 15.46 (SD 3.25) years of education, and reported an average household income of US $67,005 (SD US $41,560) per year. RESULTS: =0.39; P