Digital Intimacy and Social Isolation among Young Adults: A Mixed-Methods Study of Contemporary Relationships

Abstract

Digital communication increasingly shapes emotional closeness, relationship maintenance, and social connection among young adults. Existing literature often emphasizes screen time or platform use without adequately distinguishing meaningful relational interaction from passive or problematic engagement. This mixed-methods study examined the association between digital intimacy and social isolation, and explored the influence of communication quality, offline support, relationship type, and digital use patterns. A cross-sectional online survey included 512 adults aged 18–29 years, followed by semi-structured interviews with 28 purposively selected participants. Digital intimacy, social isolation, offline social support, relationship satisfaction, communication behavior, and problematic digital use were assessed using standardized measures. Digital intimacy was inversely correlated with social isolation (r = −0.46, p < 0.001), with perceived responsiveness showing the strongest dimension-specific association (r = −0.49). Offline social support was the strongest protective predictor (β = −0.31, p < 0.001), whereas problematic digital use predicted greater isolation (β = 0.19, p < 0.001). Communication duration was not independently significant. Interview findings showed that emotional presence and controlled disclosure reduced perceived distance, whereas constant availability, delayed replies, and digital surveillance increased relational pressure. Digital intimacy appears beneficial when interactions are reciprocal, authentic, and integrated with offline support, but potentially isolating when communication is passive, obligatory, or disconnected from face-to-face relationships.