The Impact of Social Media on Young People

Think about the first thing you do after waking up. For many young people, it is not brushing their teeth or having breakfast. It is reaching for the phone. A quick look at Instagram turns into a few reels, then a couple of messages, maybe a YouTube video—and before you know it, twenty minutes have disappeared. Familiar?

Social media has become such a normal part of everyday life that it is sometimes difficult to imagine a time when staying connected did not mean being online all the time.

Platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and X have completely changed the way young people communicate and consume information. With just a few taps, a student in Delhi can follow a journalist in Mumbai, learn photography from a creator in another country, or discover a new skill from someone they may never meet in real life. At the same time, social media gives young people a space to express themselves. They can share their opinions, showcase their talents, document their lives and connect with people who have similar interests.

And the opportunities do not stop there.

Social media has opened doors that were difficult to access in the past. Young people are using these platforms to promote small businesses, build personal brands, find freelance work and create content around their interests. Someone with a camera, a good idea and enough determination can build an audience without needing a television studio, a newspaper office or a large production team. For aspiring journalists and content creators, platforms like YouTube and Instagram can be powerful ways to tell stories and reach people directly.

But, of course, there is another side to all of this.

The biggest problem may not be social media itself, but the amount of time we spend on it. It is surprisingly easy to open your phone for “just five minutes” and still be scrolling half an hour later. That constant stream of short videos, notifications and new posts can make it harder to concentrate on studies, work or even a simple conversation with someone sitting right next to us.

Then comes comparison.

Social media often shows us the best parts of other people's lives. Someone is travelling somewhere beautiful. Someone else has bought a new car. Another person seems to have the perfect relationship, the perfect body or an incredibly successful career. What we do not see are the ordinary days, failures, arguments and struggles behind those posts.

The result can be a strange feeling that everyone else is moving ahead while we are standing still.

Even something as simple as checking the number of likes on a photograph can affect how a person feels about themselves. Why did my post get fewer views? Why hasn't that person replied? How did their video get thousands of likes while mine barely reached anyone? These questions may sound insignificant, but when they become part of our daily routine, they can slowly affect confidence and peace of mind.

There is also the pressure to constantly remain visible. Young people can sometimes feel that they need to post, reply, react and stay updated just to avoid feeling left out. Missing a trend or not knowing about the latest viral video can almost feel like missing out on a conversation everyone else is having.

So, does that mean young people should simply stop using social media?

Not necessarily.

The more realistic solution is learning how to use it without allowing it to take over everything else. Social media can be useful, entertaining and even inspiring, but it should not become the only source of entertainment, information or social interaction.

Sometimes, putting the phone away is enough. Have dinner with your family without checking notifications. Meet a friend instead of only texting them. Go for a walk, read a book, play a sport or simply spend some time doing absolutely nothing. Those moments may not get likes or views, but they are still valuable.

It is also worth thinking before posting or sharing something. Is it actually true? Is it useful? Is it something I genuinely want to share, or am I doing it because everyone else is?

Social media is neither completely good nor completely bad. It is a tool, and its impact depends largely on how we choose to use it. It can help us learn, connect, create and discover opportunities. At the same time, if we are not careful, it can consume our time and make us constantly compare our lives with carefully edited versions of someone else's.

Perhaps the goal is not to escape the digital world altogether. That is neither realistic nor necessary.

The real goal is to make sure that while we are living our lives online, we do not forget to live them offline too.

~by Jyoti Bharti 

PGDMC, 1st Semester