The Digital Addiction Among College Students: Social Media, Mental Health and Youth Behavior

Abstract

Rapid digitalization has changed the patterns of communication, social interaction and lifestyle behaviors especially among youth in society. Extreme dependence on the platforms of social media has led to apprehensions about digital addiction recognized increasingly as a significant psycho-social issue in present era. This research explores the interplay of social media usage, the mental health and the behavioral patterns among college students in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Sample of 400 students both boys and girls was selected from five main co-educational colleges (80 participants from each from) Government Graduate College Samanabad, Government Municipal Graduate College Abdullahpur, Government Graduate College of Science, Government Islamia Graduate College Sargodha Road and Government Graduate College Satiana Road Peoples Colony Faisalabad. The respondents (BS level) were selected using stratified random sampling technique. The data was gathered through questionnaire. This tool was constructed on the standardized scales measuring digital addiction, mental health i.e. stress, anxiety, and depression, and behavioral patterns i.e. academic performance, sleep cycles and social interaction. Findings of the study revealed a strong correlation between excessive usage of social media and declining mental health with significant impact on the academic and social behavior of students. Apart from this, present study contributes to sociological understanding regarding how lifestyles driven by technology affect youth well-being and reflects the urgent need for awareness campaigns, digital literacy programs and intervention strategies to mitigate negative impacts of digital addiction among college students.