Swipe, Post, Repeat: The Mental Health Fallout of Social Media

Social media has become an inseparable part of modern youth culture. Adolescents and young adults between the ages of 13 and 30 spend a significant portion of their day on platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook, using them to communicate, seek validation, express emotions, and stay updated. However, growing global research suggests that this continuous online engagement is not without consequences. This study explores the psychological impact of social media use on adolescents and youths in India using a structured quantitative approach. A total of 100 participants completed a Likert-scale questionnaire assessing time spent online, emotional and behavioral symptoms, and lifestyle changes. Statistical tools, including Cronbach’s Alpha, independent t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation, were used via SPSS software to interpret the data. The findings revealed that participants who spent more than 3–4 hours daily on social media platforms were significantly more prone to emotional instability, anxiety, depressive moods, disrupted sleep, and difficulty concentrating. Notably, college students showed higher levels of emotional distress compared to school students, likely due to increased autonomy, academic stress, and peer comparison. These findings align with existing literature that points to the growing mental health burden in youth populations linked to digital overuse. This study emphasizes the urgent need for awareness programs, digital literacy education, and healthy screen-time habits to prevent long-term psychological distress. The paper concludes with practical recommendations for educators, parents, and young users.