An Analytical View of the Psychological Impact of Using Social Media on the Youth of Karachi

Abstract

The current study was intended to analyse the impact of social media on mental health of the youth in city of Karachi. The study employed a primary quantitative research method in which survey questionnaire was designed on the basis of five distinct dimensions of independent variable i.e., academic purpose, socialisation, entertainment, informativeness, and constraints. A total of 100 participants were selected for survey, which belonged to three separate groups i.e., 40 studying at intermediate level, 40 studying at graduation level, and 20 not currently studying but employed in the labour market. Statistical analysis was conducted through SPSS software in which independent t-test, ANOVA, and correlation analysis were conducted. The ANOVA results obtained showed that in that sig value is highly insignificant which indicates that there is low variance and thus groups are not statistically different. After confirmation of insignificant variation, correlation analysis indicated that academic purpose had low association with mental health of youth in Karachi. Whereas, association of socialisation, entertainment, informativeness, and constraints were found to be high, thus indicating their high impact on mental health of young individuals of the city.

Cyber Strain: Exploring Adverse Mental Health Effects of the Problematic Internet Usage Among University Students

“…Still, the negative influence of this technological innovation on psychological well-being of student population raises the concerns (Sobaih, Hasanein & Abu Elnasr, 2020). Many research studies such as those by Nesi (2020), Ghai, Magis-Weinberg, Stoilova, Livingstone, and Orben (2022), Shannon, Bush, Villeneuve, Hellemans, and Guimond (2022), Mushtaque et al (2022), Raheeq, Sheikh, and Faizan (2021) and Sangtiani, Mehraj, and Guriro (2023), have investigated thus complex link amid problematic internet usage and negative mental health outcomes, shedding light on possible dangers of excessive online interaction. This phenomenon's multidimensional nature includes a wide range of online behaviors, including but not limited to social media use, online gaming and obsessive internet surfing.…”

“…Pakistan's cultural characteristics, along with the fast integration of technology into daily life, provide a unique setting for researching repercussions of problematic internet usage on mental health (Raheeq et al, 2021). In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan, the challenges and opportunities presented by internet usage among university students add a unique dimension to the broader discussion.…”

“…According to research studies like Mushtaque et al (2022), Raheeq, Sheikh and Faizan (2021) and Sangtiani, Mehraj and Guriro (2023) the rising use of Social Networking Technologies has resulted in a variety of mental health issues such as the anxiety, depression, social isolation, sleepiness and Facebook addiction among Pakistani students. Despite these well-documented facts, there is currently a scarcity of study in Pakistan on the negative mental health impacts of Social Networking Technologies.…”