Relationships between young people’s experience of loneliness and digital addictions, stress, and emotional intelligence

The aim of the article is to identify possible correlations between the experienced feeling of loneliness and digital addictions, stress and emotional intelligence in Russian-speaking youth. Materials and methods. The basis of this empirical study was the results of online testing of 1833 young people aged 18-31 (mean age M=20.7 years, SD=2.9), including 1153 (57%) girls (M=21.1 years, SD=3.1) and 680 young men (M=20.1 years, SD=2.5). The study used UCLA Loneliness Scale D. Russell, L. Peploe and M. Ferguson, APA questionnaire of video game addiction, short version of the questionnaire of smartphone addiction (author V.P. Sheynov), questionnaire of social network addiction (authors V.P. Sheynov, A.S. Devitsyn), scale of perceived stress-10, diagnostics of emotional intelligence of N. Hall. Statistical analysis was carried out by programs from the SPSS-20 package, the level of statistical significance was accepted p≤0.05. Results. In young people, positive correlations were found between experienced loneliness and digital addictions (from video games, social networks and smartphones), as well as with perceived stress. A negative correlation was found with emotional intelligence and its components. Young men and women experience loneliness differently. The average indicators of experienced loneliness in the male sample are expressed more strongly than in the female one. Conclusion. The obtained results have important theoretical significance, as they show the importance of digitalization in the lives of young people. The spread and use of digital gadgets, as well as drive for video games and social networks, are strongly associated with the spread of loneliness in young people of both sexes. In turn, there is a connection between digital addictions and perceived stress, which also increases the feeling of loneliness. Emotional intelligence plays an important role in reducing the feeling of experienced loneliness. Loneliness is a prerequisite for socio-psychological maladjustment that occurs under the influence of acute psychotraumatic situations, disruptions in the interaction of an individual with their immediate environment. The latter, in turn, is one of the significant causes of suicidal behavior. Therefore, many programs for the prevention of self-destructive, including suicidal behavior in lonely young people should be created taking into account the results obtained in this study.