Student: Erika Wheeler
College or University: Penn State Scranton
Advisor: Laura Nathans, Ph.D.

ABSTRACT
This project explored the relationship between loneliness and the use of video chats in emerging adult college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was created that contained questions regarding types of video chats, purposes of video chats, frequencies of video chats, benefits and negatives of video chats, and Likert-scale questions regarding feelings of intimacy and loneliness. Data was collected from students at Penn State Scranton, Penn State Brandywine, and Cedar Crest College between the ages of 18 and 29 who were administered the survey through a link given by professors in classes. Results demonstrated popular uses of Zoom and Facetime, uses for academic and friend contact purposes, benefits of live interaction and being able to see facial expressions, and negatives of technology issues and Zoom fatigue. Correlational analyses revealed that the more purposes video chats are used for, the greater intimacy and connectedness students experienced, as well as less social isolation and greater feelings of normalcy. Students experienced greater benefits and negatives with greater loneliness, which suggests that using video chats makes them aware of the lack of being present with others.