Impact of social media on youth's mental health in india: A Sociological Study

Abstract

The last ten years of social media platform expansion in India has created a complete transformation social environment which young people now experience. With 2023 showing over 467 million active social media users India ranks among the biggest digital user base which grows rapidly throughout the world because its users include many young people who belong to the 15 to 30 age group. Social media platforms provide users with exceptional opportunities to connect and express themselves and gather information yet these platforms create multiple psychological dangers which mental health experts and sociologists increasingly study. The research studies how social media affects mental health among Indian youth through three sociological theories that include social comparison theory and symbolic interactionism and the sociology of digital culture. The research investigates various elements which include anxiety and depression and cyberbullying and identity formation and social validation and sleep disruption and algorithmic content curation. The research study analyzes social media usage among different genders and examines how rural areas and urban areas create a digital access gap and investigates how families and schools help students manage their online time. The study ends with recommendations which develop policies to improve digital health for Indian youth.

Keywords: Social Media, Mental Health, Cyberbullying, Screen Time, Digital Culture.