The Impacts of Reduced Social Interaction on the Loneliness of International Students

The Impacts of Reduced Social Interaction On The Loneliness Of International Students
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Research Question: How does the decline in social interaction affect international students' feelings of loneliness?
1 Introduction
Background Information
As an international student, I am keeping paying attention to the mental health of this group. According to an Australian study, most international students who participated in the study have experienced loneliness (Sawir et al., 2008).In the past few months, the restrictions caused by the epidemic have led to a decline in my social life. In this situation, I feel lonely more than ever. Therefore, I develop my research question: how does reduced social interaction affect international students' feelings of loneliness.
Different factors influence international students' successful transition into the host country, academic life, and international students' adjustment may be stunted because of isolation, social differences, cultural differences, and language barrier. However, willingness to interact with others and be outgoing can make it easier to interact and relate with students from the host country (Sawir et al., 2008). Social interaction and social isolation are closely intertwined since the lack of close social ties increases the risk of isolation and loneliness. Among lonely and social-isolated individuals, social interaction interventions are likely to reduce isolation. Being part of a social network, regardless of whether a small group enhances social contact, reduces the likelihood of members being lonely. Thus, here are my two hypotheses:
* Social interaction reduces feelings of loneliness and social isolation among international students.
* Social support reduces social isolation and protects against stress, and improves an individual's well-being.
Independent/dependent variables
Feelings of loneliness are the dependent variable where poor or lack of social contact is associated with the risk of loneliness and social isolation. A strong social support system is necessary to alleviate loneliness. A person seeks to intimidate relations and emotional connection and lacking this result in emotional loneliness (Nicolaisen & Thorsen, 2014). The independent variable is the decline in social interaction, which often leads to people being socially isolated. Weak social tie interactions are associated with loneliness, even for those who are not socially isolated (Lee & Ko, 2018).
Operational definitions for the variables
Social interaction is the exchange between or more people, including groups with reciprocal relations and cooperation, and sometimes competition. Loneliness is a subjective emotional experience linked to deficiencies in an individual’s social relationships (Nicolaisen & Thorsen, 2014). Loneliness is strongly associated with the quality of life, mental health, and social isolation, but social isolation is objective. Social support reflects the exchange of resources between two or more people where there is a perception that is meant to enhance the recipient’s well-being (Chiu et al., 2015). Socials support is associated with better mental health outcomes and well-being (Chiu et al., 2015).
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