The term “social media” suggests that users have friends or are connected to the people they know. Often, though, that connection is superficial.

“People often ‘put their best foot forward’ on social media. They make it seem as if they had a problem-free and blissful life, and this can make friendship rather superficial. We meet this challenge by maintaining communication that is more private—phone calls, texts, and emails, for example—with those who are closest to us.”