EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INSTAGRAM USAGE AND MENTAL HEALTH: AN ANALYSIS OF ANXIETY AND STRESS AMONG YOUTH

Abstract

Instagram has become a powerful social media tool among the youth, offering the capabilities to connect, express oneself, and share information. Nevertheless, its immersive, appearance-based character has been the cause of an increasing concern regarding its psychological effects. This research paper explores the connection between mental health and Instagram use with the aim of investigating the topic of anxiety and stress amongst young people in Faisalabad.

The survey was done on 18-to 25-year-old old university students in Faisalabad, through stratified random sampling. Anxiety and stress levels were measured using standardized instruments such as GAD-7 and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The respondents were also asked about Instagram usage and engagement patterns and social appearance perceptions. The results of 400 respondents were processed with the help of descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis.

The findings reveal that there is a strong positive correlation between the intensive use of Instagram and the higher anxiety (r = 0.63) and stress (r = 0.58) levels. In addition, there was a significant relationship (r = 0.72) between the perceived social appearance and the sense of inferiority. The results indicate that an exposure to idealized and curated content on Instagram may create detrimental social comparisons, especially in the case of regular users. The psychological distress was more prevalent among the female participants. The study points out that there is a need to encourage responsible use of social media among the young people. The negative impact of excessive Instagram usage can be alleviated with the assistance of digital literacy initiatives, self-awareness, and screen-time management. Promoting conscious use and occasional digital detox can be beneficial to the mental health of the young generation.