Social Media, Mental Health, and Productivity: Insights from a Survey-Based Study

Abstract

India’s economy has undergone a significant upheaval over the past few decades. Major economic reforms started when the government of India initiated the policy of 1991 namely globalization, privatization, and liberalization (LPG). These reforms had major ramifications on various sectors whether they were agricultural, manufacturing, or services sectors for the overall structural transformation. One of the major impacts from all those years can be seen in the service and technology sector where the country developed from the usage of letters for communication to the owning of smartphones, from the 14-year-old teenager to the 60-year-old man everyone owns a smartphone. Over the past few years Indian economy has emerged into the digital economy where the usage of social media has been playing a major role. As per stats, India has a large number of social media users about 5.66 billion active social media users identified as of early 2026 representing 65% - 70% of the world population. Also, social media can have the great relationship with mental health and productivity of the youth in India, which is the core objective of this study. This study examines this relationship with the help of using primary data collected through a well-structured questionnaire. The survey was conducted aged upto 27 years with a sample size of approximately 97 respondents through the convenience sampling.

The study involves the use of quantitative approach using a Likert scale. While the findings are based on a limited sample size but it provides the great insight into the need for balanced social media use to enhance overall well being and efficiency.