Does social media usage ameliorate loneliness in rural youth? A cross sectional pilot study.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between social media use and loneliness and psychological wellbeing of youth in rural New South Wales.

Design: This was a web-based cross-sectional survey.

Methods: The survey consisted of 33 items including demography (12 items), participants' social media use (9 items), mood and anxiety (6 items), perceived loneliness (6 items), the impact of COVID-19 on social media usage or perceived loneliness (2 items).