Name: Suresh G. Isave
Country: India

Year: 2024
Volume: Volume-14, Issue-1 (Jan-June)
Page Number: 44-47

The rise of social media usage, particularly among young adults, has raised concerns about its psychological impact. This study aims to explore the psychological effects of social media addiction on the mental health of junior college students in Pune city. Using a survey research design, data were collected through a structured questionnaire distributed via Google Forms to 500 students from both Marathi and English-medium colleges. The questionnaire, which was circulated randomly through WhatsApp groups, consisted of 20 closed-ended questions focused on social media usage patterns and psychological symptoms such as anxiety, depression, emotional instability, sleep disturbances, and social isolation.
The results revealed that a significant majority (70%) of the students spent more than three hours daily on social media, with 45% reporting symptoms of anxiety and 38% experiencing depression linked to excessive social media usage. Emotional instability, such as mood swings and irritabil