According to a recent study, young adults from urban areas are most likely to be addicted to social media (especially Instagram) in Karnataka due to boredom and peer pressure.
A study conducted by the Maitreya Centre for Psychology concluded that young adults from urban areas are most prone to social media addiction in Karnataka. Of the 444 users observed, who were active on Instagram for more than three hours a day, 223 were from Bangalore. The study, published in June 2023, stated that the possible reasons for this addiction lie in peer pressure and the fear of missing out (FOMO) as well as anxiety over maintaining a picture-perfect image on social media. Boredom and increased adoption of social media during the pandemic were also cited as reasons.
“When one is addicted, your brain starts frequently craving the release of happy hormones leading to symptoms such as identity crisis, irritability, sensory impairment, memory issues, frequent outbursts and decrease in the quality of professional or academic output,” he added.
Social media use is also linked with other issues such as body dysmorphia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
“I have observed OCD symptoms in young adults I have treated,” Srivatsa said. “They seemed to idolize and emulate K-pop stars, K-drama actors and social media influencers. And this leads to them wanting to appear like them.”
Some young adults have adopted techniques such as digital media detoxification to deal with digital media addiction, a process in which the addicted person temporarily and gradually cuts out digital media from their lifestyles.
“The first few days were horrible,” said Aryan Patidar, a Union Public Serivce Commision (UPSC ) aspirant and political science student who had used the method to beat his online gaming addiction.
“I was surrounded by screens all the time, but it got easier with progress. It was similar to withdrawals from junk food addiction and I initially felt jittery and irritable. I reminded myself of the hobbies I left behind and my duties towards my academics and my need to complete an internship,” he explained..
“I was addicted to online games but I used my detox period to improve my software skills, read more and connect more often, authentically and organically with my family and friends.”
Social media use also comes with a whole host of other psychological issues such as body image issues, and erratic sleep patterns.
“I close my eyes and I see videos,” said Rishita, a junior content producer for an entertainment content company whose job is to operate and update the company’s social media account constantly, for which she has to use Instagram for more than five hours a day.
“I suffer from frequent headaches, back pain and red eyes due to excessive screen time. And it affects my sleeping patterns,” Rishita said, speaking about the physical impacts of excessive social media use.
“Some of the psychological issues include body image issues, where I often look in the mirror and find myself comparing what I see with the people I watch on social media,” she explained.
Despite issues with addiction, social media has also helped people who live in an isolated and atomized environment find a sense of community and belonging.
In societies where dissent is monitored very closely and freedom of speech and expression is severely curbed, social media is one of the few tools that empower young adults to find solidarity and a space to express views that might be forbidden by the state.
“Oh, I do feel isolated. When the war just started I thought it was obvious that no would like it, but I underestimated how much impact propaganda can have on careless and apolitical people,” said Alex a computer science student from Vladivostok, Russia, who has used applications like Discord and Instagram to find people who agree with his anti-war political views and niche interests in video games and game developing.
“Most people don’t tend to check what they have been told and the only ones who share my views in Russia is my ex and a girl from a different city. I don’t really check on Russian social media anymore because it’s filled with hatred towards almost anything that breathes and disagreeing with it is illegal,” he elaborated.
Social media has helped Alex feel less isolated and helped him find community in a difficult time.
