PROJECT WORK

ON

THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON MENTAL HEALTH AMONG STUDENTS OF LADY KEANE
COLLEGE,SHILLONG

BY

B.A VI SEMESTER STUDENTS,EDUCATION HONOURS (2024)

CHAPTER 1-Introduction

Mental health often get mixed up with mental illness, but mental illness is not the same as mental
health. Our mental health is to do with how we think and feel about ourselves, the world around us
and other people. It is to do with how we manage our feelings, how we get on with each other, how
we make choices, how we handle stressful situations and what we do. It is also linked to our physical
health.

According to World Health Organization (WHO)- “Mental health is an emotional, psychological and
social well-being.”

Mental health is defined as the ability to cope with and bounce back from adversity, to solve
problems in everyday life, manage when things are difficult and cope with everyday stressors.

The use of social media has significant effects on the mental health of young people. For example,
excessive use of social media like Instagram, Facebook, etc can lead to addiction, anxiety, isolation,
depression, cyberbullying, self-harm, etc. It can also foster FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), using it as a
security blanket (reassurance) in social situation and using it to point the key problem s stress or
depression. The negative cycle of loneliness can also be created due to it’s excessive Iuse. The
major impact of social media is that it neglects offline relations, creates negative comparison with
others and distraction is often one of the symptoms caused due to the excessive use of social media.
Good mental health is made possible by a supportive social network, friendship and family
environment, work life balance, physical health which will help in reducing stress and trauma. The
steps or measure to change/ overcome this habit is reducing online time, changing focus to
meaningful interaction, spending more time with friends/ parents in offline and expressing gratitude
to others.

While virtual interaction does not replace face to face contact, yet it can help in staying connected
and in finding the right support. So, parents or guardians can monitor and limit social media use,
especially for the students, youths, by addressing underlying problems/ issues and by educating on
the realities of social media and encourage offline activities.

Social media is a significant phenomenon in the 21st century because it is a part of many people’s
daily lives. The term is used to describe various networking instruments and technologies that use
the internet as a tool for communication, collaboration and creative expression ( Van Dijck, 2013).
Social media, is defined by Goff (2013) as a set of technologies and tools used to enable the
formation of online communities with the goal or productive collaboration and communication.
Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives transforming the way we connect,
communicate and share information. However, concerns have been raised about the potential
impact of social media on mental health of students.
 Therefore, it was decided that a small project will be conducted to find out on ‘ The effects of
social media on mental health’ as it will give an idea about the effects and impact of social media
among students and seek suggestions from them on how to minimize the effects upon them.

Significance of study

In view of what is stated above, we the 6th semester students(2024) of Education Department of
Lady Keane College have decided to do a project entitled, ‘ The Effect Of Social Media On Mental
Health Among students of Lady Keane College, Shillong’.

Tool Used

Under the guidance of the teachers of Education Department a project titled, ‘The effects of social
media on mental health among students of Lady Keane College, Shillong” was selected. After
collecting the items for the questionnaire, the teachers of the Department reviewed and evaluated
each item and finally only 15 items were chosen. This self-constructed questionnaire was used as a
tool to collect the necessary data.

Objectives
1) To find out the usage of social media among students.
2) To find out the effects of social media on mental health of students.
3) To give suggestions on how to manage the use of social media among students.

Method of study

Survey Method.

Population

All degree students of Lady Keane College as on 2024 the total number of students is 577

Delimitation of the study

Due to time constraint the study was limited only among all the 6th semester of Lady Keane College.

Sample

The total number of respondent is 427.

This literature review aims to critically examine a few existing research to gain insights into the
relationship between social media usage and mental health of the students.

A recent study impact of social media on mental health of students by M Deepa, VK Priya(2020) in
the International journal of Scientific & Technology Research Volume 9, issue 03 March, 2020 cited
by 29 Related Article: has already found that excessive time spent on social media leads to
depression. In this study the result shows that there is an association between usage of social media
the number of social networking sites and also found that there was a difference between a number
of social networking site and symptoms of depression. Excessive time spent on social media, online
harassment and social comparison have been identified as potential risk factors contributing to
depressive symptoms.

The study conducted by Vornholt P and De Choudhury(2021) revealed that a large number of
participating students had recently experienced some form of stress, anxiety, or other mental health
challenges related to college life. They identified specific academic, personal, and social life
stressors; motivations behind social media use for mental health needs; and specific platform
affordances that helped or hindered this use.

According to a study on “Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health” by Elia Abi-
Jaoude, Karline Treurnicht Naylor and Antonio Pignatiello(2020),the following three findings were
given.

1.Several cross-sectional studies have shown that high proportions of youth appear to be addicted
to their smartphones.

2.It was identified that Internet addiction as being particularly associated with self-harm or suicidal
behaviour based on 7 included studies.A recent large prospective study of senior high school
adolescent students in Taiwan found that youth classified as experiencing Internet addiction had a
significantly increased risk of having newly emerged self-harm or suicidal behaviour or both when re-
evaluated 1 year later.

3. Media multitasking is associated with negative effects on cognitive control, academic

After the data was collected the investigators analyzed and interpret the data based on the Self
Constructed Questionnaire. The results as responded by the samples of the survey are as follows:-

Q1. 45% of the respondents spent more time in social media rather than spending time on other
things like books, newspaper reading, etc.

Q2. 81% of the respondents spent most of their time watching YouTube i.e. watching videos.

Q3. 54% of the respondents are interested in watching contents and getting information as content
of the video can give them ideas.

Q4. 55% of the respondents stated that they easily lose focus by using social media and get easily
distracted by watching social media platform which is almost fake.

Q5. 47% of the respondents agree that social media does not really provides a sense of social
support, and it also does not really reduce feeling of loneliness.

Q6. 39% of the respondents are not sure whether social media helps in escaping real life problem or
stress, while 35% agree that social media helps in escaping real life problem or stress.

Q7. 38% of the respondents disagree that social media makes them to compare with the lifestyle of
others like travelling destinations, shopping sprees, and so on, while 34% agree that social media
makes them to compare with the lifestyle of others.

Q8. 24% of the respondents agree that spending too much time with social media affect their
relationship with family and loved ones, while about 36% disagree that social media affect their
relationship with their loved ones.

Q9. While only 15% of the respondents agree that they prefer to use social media over an activity
with family or friends,however,65 % disagree about it.

Q10. 46% of the respondents disagree that they often think about social media when they are not
using it

Q11.Only 20% of the respondents feel connected with others when they use social media, allowing
them to stay in touch with friends, family, and communities. It is a powerful tool for communication
and maintaining relationships. However, 18% are not sure about using social media, because while it
can foster connections, it can also bring challenges such as comparison, anxiety, and misinformation.

Q12. 20% of the respondents are unsure about their lifestyle whether it is influenced by trends,
lifestyles, and products showcased on social media. However, 19% disagree on this statement

Q13. 20% of the respondents rate themselves as ‘neutral’ with regards to their mental health,
particularly amidst challenges such as academic pressure, social changes, and personal issues.
However, the fact that 18% rate their mental health as ‘good’ which is a positive sign.

Q14. 62.5% of the respondents do not compare themselves with others on social media; however,
16% of respondents experienced a range of emotions such as inadequacy, envy, anxiety or even
inspiration, depending on their individual mindset.
CHAPTER 4-Suggestion and Conclusion

Suggestion:

The following are the suggestions given by the respondents on how to manage the use of social
media and how to improve mental health among students.

1. Spend less time on social media and use it wisely.

2. Spend more time with loved ones.

3. Maintaining balance on the use of social media

4. Self-awareness Programme with practical examples, making the students aware about the ill
effects of Excessive use of social media.

5. Uninstall useless apps on the phone and inculcate good new habits.

6. Encouraging students to seek support from friends and family if needed can help them
navigate these feelings and maintain their well-being.

Conclusion:

Social media plays a significant role in the lives of students. Using social media positively according
to their needs help the students by improving themselves and

motivate them to achieve their goals. Managing the use of social media by setting time limits and
spending quality time with friends and families can lead to sound mental health.

Moreover, balancing activities by doing exercise and hobbies lead to self- improvement in mental
health. Access mental health support services both online and offline for guidance and assistance is
essential for student dealing with depression.

From the above mentioned we can say that it is essential for students to adopt strategies by
managing their social media to use effectively to safeguard their mental well-being.

Name of the VI Semester Students:

1. Anita Essai
2. Artibariskhem Marwein
3. Balahun Kurbah
4. Balarisa Kharir
5. Banasha Kurkalang
6. Bandarishisha Pathaw
7. Barikor Nongpoh
8. Basilissa Jacqueline Shadap
9. Bidanchi A Marak
10. Daiakershisha Kharsyad
11. Daphinosha Jyrwa
12. Daphishisha Mary Ryntathiang
13. Emika Sumer
14. H Rinlan
15. Hc Ngosua
16. Iadahun Khonglam
17. Ianosha Myrthong
18. Labianghun Khongwir
19. Nabaaiti Khonglam
20. Minam Tayeng
21. Mutum Dincy Devi
22. Phibashisha Nongkhlaw
23. Priyanka M Marak
24. Stefene E Laloo
25. Sumonhi Suchiang
26. Wandahunshisha Lyngdoh Thabah
27. Wandaphisha Kharkrang
28. Lasharailang Chyne
29. Anika Mawlong
30. Ackmesilda P Marak
31. Aifulness Lyngkhoi
32. Aiom Ksiar Marbaniang
33. Aitihun Kharkongor
34. Alizia Thangkhiew
35. Artilin Lyngkhoi
36. Artimon Myrthong
37. Carefully Syiemlieh
38. Chesalon M Marak
39. Darihun Nongsiej
40. Dayophika Pathaw
41. Deiphibanri Warbah
42. Judica Sun
43. Marisha Sten
44. Mayanglambam Asha Devi
45. Lasiewdor Myrthong
46. Moushomi Ghosh
47. Naphibanpyntngen Kynshikhar
48. Neha Sinha
49. Nitu Das
50. Nrikamle Newme
51. Ruthi Ramdinmawii
52. Sabanty Khongwet
53. Shilpa Rabha
54. Susmita Hajong
55. Sylvia
56. Sydneythia Kharbudnah
57. Yadasuk Passah
58. Zenniefer Marbaniang
59. Syntiew Khongiong
60. Traceable Langstang
61. Phidasuksha Kharkongor
62. Banistina Lamare
63. Brahmacharimayum Karishma Devi
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