Psychological Status of Social Media Users among Students of a Selected University in Dhaka, Bangladesh

In the modern world, the screen has become a window to the entire globe, a place where people gather to share thoughts, watch videos, and keep in touch with friends. For young adults, this digital space is often the primary way they connect with the world. However, this constant connection comes with a psychological cost that scientists are only beginning to fully understand. When people spend hours scrolling through feeds or messaging friends, they are not just passing time; they are engaging in a complex interaction that can reshape their mood, their sleep, and their sense of self. Researchers are particularly interested in how this digital immersion affects two common mental states: anxiety, a feeling of worry or unease, and depression, a persistent sadness that can make daily life feel heavy. While social media offers a way to build communities and find support, it also carries the risk of distraction, comparison, and isolation. Understanding whether the time spent online is a harmless habit or a trigger for mental distress is a crucial question for public health, especially among university students who are navigating the transition to adulthood while living in a hyper-connected society.

A team of researchers set out to investigate this relationship within the student body of the Bangladesh University of Health Sciences in Dhaka. They wanted to see if the way students used social media was linked to their mental well-being. To do this, they gathered a group of 253 undergraduate students and asked them to fill out a detailed survey. The survey covered their basic background, such as their age, where they lived, and their family income, as well as their daily habits, including whether they smoked, used other substances, or played sports. Crucially, the survey also asked them to report how much time they spent on social media and which platforms they used most often. The researchers then used three standard tools to measure the students' mental health: one to check for internet addiction, another to measure anxiety, and a third to screen for depression. These tools asked simple questions about how often students felt restless, sad, or unable to stop using the internet, turning their answers into a score that indicated their level of distress.

The students who participated in the study were mostly young adults, with an average age of about 22. Most of them were female, lived in cities, and came from families with a monthly income below 50,000 taka. When it came to their digital lives, the results were striking. Nearly all of the students used smartphones, and the vast majority were active on Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube. On average, these students spent more than six days a week on social media, logging in for more than five hours every single day. This amount of time is significant; it means that for a large portion of their waking hours, these students were engaged with their screens. The researchers found that this heavy usage was accompanied by a noticeable level of mental strain. About half of the students showed signs of internet addiction, and nearly half also experienced some level of depression or anxiety. The average scores suggested that while many students were not in a crisis, a significant number were dealing with mild to moderate levels of these conditions.

When the researchers looked closer at the data, they discovered that not all factors were linked to mental health in the same way. They found a clear and strong connection between substance use and mental distress. Students who admitted to being addicted to drugs or other substances were much more likely to report symptoms of both depression and anxiety. This suggests that for this group, the struggle with addiction and the struggle with mental health often go hand in hand. However, the relationship between social media and mental health was more nuanced. The study found that spending time on social media was significantly linked to anxiety. Students who spent more than six hours a day on these platforms were more likely to report feeling anxious. It appears that the sheer volume of time spent online can wear down a person's emotional resilience, leading to feelings of worry and unease.

Interestingly, the study did not find a direct link between the amount of time spent on social media and depression. While heavy users were more likely to feel anxious, their time online did not seem to predict whether they would feel depressed. This distinction is important because it suggests that different mental health challenges have different triggers. The researchers also looked at whether using specific platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok made a difference, but they found no significant link between any single app and higher rates of depression or anxiety. The issue appeared to be the total time spent online rather than the specific destination. Furthermore, the study showed that factors like age, gender, or family income did not strongly predict who would feel anxious or depressed in this group. The only lifestyle factor that stood out as a major predictor for both conditions was the use of addictive substances.

The findings of this study paint a picture of a generation that is deeply connected but also vulnerable. The students in Dhaka are spending a quarter of their day online, and this habit is associated with higher levels of anxiety. While social media itself is not a magic bullet that causes all mental health problems, the data suggests that spending too much time in the digital world can tip the scales toward anxiety. The researchers concluded that for these students, the duration of their online engagement is a key factor in their mental well-being. They also noted that the study had limitations, such as the fact that it only looked at one university and used a specific method of selecting students, which means the results might not apply to every student in the country. Despite these limits, the study offers a clear warning: the time we spend scrolling is not just a measure of our leisure; it is a measure of our mental load. For young people navigating the pressures of university life, finding a balance between the digital world and the real one may be essential for keeping their minds healthy.