Alone Together Online: Digital Social Isolation and Mental Health Disparities Among Urban and Rural Adolescents

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15826/csp.2025.9.4.364

Abstract

Adolescent depression has intensified alongside increasing digital engagement, with online platforms sometimes fostering digital social isolation, a subjective sense of emotional disconnection despite frequent online use. This study examined the relationship between digital social isolation and depressive symptoms among 201 adolescents aged 15–18 in West Java, Indonesia (urban = 101, rural = 100). Measures included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, adapted for Indonesian adolescents, and a newly developed Digital Social Isolation Scale. Due to non-normality and heteroscedasticity, the robust regression method using Iteratively Reweighted Least Squares (Huber’s T norm) was applied. Results indicated that digital social isolation was a significant predictor of depressive symptoms (β = 0.56, p < .001) after controlling for age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Urban adolescents reported higher depression scores than their rural peers. Cluster analysis with principal component analysis revealed three distinct groups: Cluster 1 (Moderately Connected, Low Depression), Cluster 2 (High Isolation, High Depression), and Cluster 3 (Highly Isolated but Stable). For interpretive clarity, these clusters were conceptualized as “digital tribes”: Resilient Adolescents (Cluster 1), Structurally Disconnected Rural Adolescents (Cluster 2), and Digitally Fatigued Urban Youth (Cluster 3). These findings highlight the need for geographically sensitive interventions that foster emotional literacy and meaningful online–offline connections, and that address structural inequalities influencing adolescent well-being.

Author Biography

Anggi Saeful Majid, Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University, Bandung

Anggi Saeful Majid is a researcher and a recent graduate of Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University, Bandung, with academic interests spanning political science and social sciences. He has engaged in various research initiatives focusing on governance, digital society, and public policy. His expertise includes applying data analysis and mixed-method approaches to generate empirical insights into contemporary social issues. Anggi aspires to contribute as a policy analyst, producing evidence-based insights to inform decision-making and foster community impact. He is committed to advancing interdisciplinary research and bridging the gap between social science and data-driven analysis. Among this research interests are political science; social sciences; GAND public policy; digital society; evidence-based policymaking; data analysis, and empirical research.

References


  • Barton, J., Osuagwu, U. L., Cockrell-Reed, K., & Vines, R. (2024). Factors associated with loneliness in rural Australia: A web-based cross-sectional survey. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 10, Article 101154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.101154

  • Bozzola, E., Spina, G., Agostiniani, R., Barni, S., Russo, R., Scarpato, E., Di Mauro, A., Di Stefano, A. V., Caruso, C., Corsello, G., & Staiano, A. (2022). The use of social media in children and adolescents: Scoping review on the potential risks. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(16), Article 9960. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19169960

  • Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. G. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241–258). Greenwood Press.

  • Castells, M. (1996). The rise of the network society. Blackwell.

  • Chimbutane, F., Herrera-Almanza, C., Karachiwalla, N., Lauchande, C., & Leight, J. (2023). COVID-19 school closures and mental health of adolescent students: Evidence from rural Mozambique. SSM—Mental Health, 3, Article 100203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2023.100203

  • Cisneros-Vásquez, E., Smith, L., Yañéz-Sepúlveda, R., Olivares-Arancibia, J., Gutiérrez-Espinoza, H., Yon, D. K., Shin, J. I., & López-Gil, J. F. (2025). Beyond hunger: Uncovering the link between food insecurity and depression, anxiety, and stress in adolescents. Current Developments in Nutrition, 9(6), Article 107453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2025.107453

  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203771587

  • Costa-Font, J., & Vilaplana-Prieto, C. (2022). Health shocks and housing downsizing: How persistent is ‘ageing in place’? Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 204, 490–508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2022.10.039

  • Dulkiah, M., & Majid, A. (2025). Influence of social capital on community participation with community development as an intervening variable. Changing Societies & Personalities, 9(2), 501–523. https://doi.org/10.15826/csp.2025.9.2.339

  • Joshi, P., Hendrie, K., Jester, D. J., Dasarathy, D., Lavretsky, H., Ku, B. S., Leutwyler, H., Torous, J., Jeste, D. V, & Tampi, R. R. (2024). Social connections as determinants of cognitive health and as targets for social interventions in persons with or at risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders: A scoping review. International Psychogeriatrics, 36(2), 92–118. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1041610223000923

  • Lawrence-Sidebottom, D., Huffman, L. G., Beam, A. B., McAlister, K., Guerra, R., Parikh, A., Roots, M., & Huberty, J. (2024). Using a digital mental health intervention for crisis support and mental health care among children and adolescents with self-injurious thoughts and behaviors: Retrospective study. JMIR Formative Research, 8, Article e54816. https://doi.org/10.2196/54816

  • Mare-Cha, Shimul, M. M. H., Baroi, O., & Khandker, S. (2025). Comparing rural and urban mothers’ awareness of self-harm and associated risk factors among high school students in Bangladesh. Preventive Medicine Reports, 55, Article 103127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2025.103127

  • Moriarity, D. P., Bart, C. P., Stumper, A., Jones, P., & Alloy, L. B. (2020). Mood symptoms and impairment due to substance use: A network perspective on comorbidity. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 278, 423–432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.09.086

  • Naslund, J. A., Aschbrenner, K. A., Araya, R., Marsch, L. A., Unützer, J., Patel, V., & Bartels, S. J. (2017). Digital technology for treating and preventing mental disorders in low-income and middle-income countries: A narrative review of the literature. The Lancet Psychiatry, 4(6), 486–500. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30096-2

  • Norris, P. (2001). Digital divide: Civic engagement, information poverty, and the internet worldwide. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139164887

  • Orben, A., & Przybylski, A. K. (2019). The association between adolescent well-being and digital technology use. Nature Human Behaviour, 3, 173–182. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0506-1

  • Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. Simon & Schuster.

  • Sala, A., Porcaro, L., & Gómez, E. (2024). Social media use and adolescents’ mental health and well-being: An umbrella review. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 14, Article 100404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2024.100404

  • She, X., Zhao, D., & Li, M. (2022). Adolescent mental health disparities in rural Guizhou vs. urban Beijing: A comparative analysis from China. Global Pediatrics, 2, Article 100023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gpeds.2022.100023

  • Silver, H. (1994). Social exclusion and social solidarity: Three paradigms of social exclusion. International Labor Review, 133(5–6), 531–578.

  • Taylor, K. V, Garchitorena, L., Scaramutti-Gladfelter, C., Wyrick, M., Grill, K. B., & Seixas, A. A. (2024). A digital mental health solution to improve social, emotional, and learning skills for youth: Protocol for an efficacy and usability study. JMIR Research Protocols, 13, Article e59372. https://doi.org/10.2196/59372

  • Twenge, J. M., Spitzberg, B. H., & Campbell, W. K. (2018). Less in-person social interaction with peers among U.S. adolescents in the 21st century and links to loneliness. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(6), 1892–1913. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407519836170

  • World Health Organization. (2022, March 2). COVID-19 pandemic triggers 25% increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide [News release]. https://www.who.int/news/item/02-03-2022-covid-19-pandemic-triggers-25-increase-in-prevalence-of-anxiety-and-depression-worldwide

Published
2025-12-29
How to Cite
Saeful Majid, A. (2025). Alone Together Online: Digital Social Isolation and Mental Health Disparities Among Urban and Rural Adolescents. Changing Societies & Personalities, 9(4), 1031-1052. doi:10.15826/csp.2025.9.4.364
Citation Formats
Issue
Vol. 9, No. 4 (2025)
Section
Articles