Revisiting Solitude in the Digital Age

Solitude and social relationships are equally important for individual well-being. With aging, people tend to spend more time alone and develop increasingly positive attitudes toward solitude. Solitude is widely regarded as “a coin with two sides”. It may represent a maladaptive response to social exclusion and isolation, manifested as loneliness and rumination. It can also be beneficial and constructive, enabling concentration, psychological restoration, self-reflection, personal autonomy, and self-transcendence. Alternatively, it can be a neutral situational state without obvious positive or negative valence.Early research generally defined solitude as the physical absence of interpersonal communication. The digital age of ubiquitous connectivity has not only reshaped the definition of solitude but also intensified the complexity of its effects. Digital technology use has become the primary activity during solitary time, yielding mixed outcomes. On the one hand, digital technologies enable emotional connection, virtual communication, relaxation, and subjective satisfaction. On the other hand, excessive reliance on digital technology can strengthen solitude preference, increase shyness, and trigger loneliness and problematic behaviors.This Research Topic aims to advance a comprehensive understanding of solitude and its multifaceted impacts on mental health and well-being across different age groups and contexts. Although research has identified both potential benefits (e.g., fostering autonomy and energy restoration) and adverse effects (e.g., impaired peer relationships and mental health risks) of solitude, the literature remains fragmented, with limited integration across developmental stages and cultural contexts. Given the increasing pervasiveness of digital environments, there is an urgent need to systematically evaluate how solitude interacts with technology use and shapes health outcomes. This Research Topic seeks to develop integrative frameworks that bridge insights from psychology, philosophy, and public health, and to inform evidence-based interventions promoting well-being at individual and societal levels. We welcome empirical studies employing diverse methodologies—including qualitative interviews, surveys, longitudinal tracking, experiments, and diary methods—as well as theoretical contributions and systematic reviews that advance conceptual clarity and empirical knowledge in this area.To gather further insights into these intersections, this Research Topic welcomes multidisciplinary contributions exploring the diverse dimensions of solitude. Potential themes include, but are not limited to:1) Relationships and mechanisms between multidimensional solitude (e.g., motives, beliefs, needs, and preferences) and mental health outcomes, including wellbeing, interpersonal relationship quality, problematic behaviors, and emotional arousal.2) Conceptual distinctions and interdisciplinary reinterpretation of solitude, clarifying its connections and differences from loneliness, isolation, and social withdrawal, with contributions from philosophy, psychology, and other disciplines.3) Reciprocal relationships and mechanisms linking digital technology use and solitude, focusing on the roles of anthropomorphism, mind perception, life perception, human AI interaction, self concept, and coping strategies.4) Solitude experiences among marginalized populations (e.g., people with disabilities, international students, immigrants, and ethnic minorities), and the potential of digital technology to mitigate adverse effects and enhance social connection.5) Digital narratives of solitude and digital wellbeing interventions, analyzing how digital environments shape public narratives and proposing intervention strategies at school, family, community, and policy levels. Topic editors: Fan Zhiguang, Lee Greenblatt-Kimron, YUVAL PALGI, Yali Zhang Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84014/revisiting-solitude-in-the-digital-age