By Midhat Soharwardy
Qazi Jveerah, a content creator, who has an Instagram page by the name-@jveecaptures, cannot recall her last family gathering with close relatives. She hardly gets to meet her uncles and cousins as she gets more and more squeezed into the vortex of followers’ mania.
Zuha(18) is no different. She has become an insomniac and deeply immersed in flipping videos, re-posting, liking and updating her profile picture deep into the night.
As Kashmir’s youth struggle with the idea of monetizing their social media accounts on X, Facebook and Instagram through reels, real-life socializing has emerged as a major casualty. What is disturbing is the trend of families and friends now meeting briefly at events for marriage and mourning. Even there people keep clicking and uploading social media content.
“People have started using social media as a coping mechanism. Many of my patients struggling with loneliness, lack of friends and social connections rely on online networks. To combat their isolation, they start mindlessly scrolling on reels for hours together which leads to excessive dopamine rush that can cause addiction and mood disorders. I treat a lot of patients who suffer from emotional anxiety and depression and I advise them to reduce or eliminate their social media use.”, said clinical psychologist Wasim Kakroo.
He further added that this reel world, while targeting dopamine, has made the youth more addictive, more impulsive and less patient. In addition many youngsters from Kashmir are engaging in online dating and having anonymous relationships on these apps, where they’ve no idea who the other person is. This addictive behavior leads to a distorted idea of love, which many of my patients are struggling with because of social media.
Casual dating is the new normal amongst youngsters, also known as “Gen Z”. Tinder being one of the most popular dating apps allows one to connect with potential partners through a swipe-based feature. Users create profiles and swipe right to like or left to pass, if two users swipe right on each other they are matched and can start chatting. This virtual world has made it very difficult for the youngsters to foster deep and meaningful relationships which is only possible after socializing and having face-to-face interactions.
“I have had a front-row seat to how social media affects young people’s mental health. I see this impact daily in my own life and the lives of those around me. Recently, my friend posted about landing an impressive internship and jet-setting to exotic destinations. Meanwhile, I’m working late into the night, balancing academics and research. Even though I work hard, seeing these idealized snapshots makes me question if I’m doing enough. This constant comparison stirs feelings of inadequacy and insecurity. The young people are creating idealized online personas. They may post pictures that make their life seem more glamorous than it really is, but deep down, they feel frustrated and even depressed by the gap between their online persona and their real self. This dissonance can further erode their self-esteem, making them feel trapped in a digital mask they can’t take off.”, said Farah Fayaz, a psychology student and a research intern in the field of neuroscience.
A 2022 study published in Pew Research Center surveyed youth globally and found out that on an average, teenagers spend approximately 6 to 7 hours a day online, including social media, gaming, and other activities. This excessive use of the internet among youth can lead to several health problems like sleep disturbances and mental health concerns. Social Media, on the other hand, has promoted numerous unrealistic beauty standards in the past few years which has made the youngsters self-conscious. In the teenage years when they are trying to understand themselves and develop their self image they are more vulnerable to the impact of unrealistic beauty standards.
There has been a massive rise in social media influencers in the past few years because of the potential for high earnings which has made people lazy thinking that this is anyday better than a 9-5 job. Business Insider’s report (2021) highlighted that social media influencers have become a major marketing force, 67% of brands increased their influencer marketing budgets in the year 2021. The study also noted that Instagram remains the most popular platform for influencers, with 79% of marketers leveraging the platform for influencer collaborations.
Platforms like Instagram, Youtube, Netflix have turned youngsters into couch surfers where they consume online content just by sitting at one place which leads to extended screen time. Due to this increased screen time there has been a drastic reduction in outdoor activities. The University of Exeter came up with a survey in the year 2017 which shows that children’s outdoor play has decreased by 60% over the past 40 years. It also revealed that only 31% of children meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity, compared to 50% in the 1970s.
The most vulnerable in this ‘Information Superhighway era’ are that toddlers are also introduced to these digital gadgets, with parents proudly flaunting their ‘superkids’ on social media. This will lead to limited face-to-face interactions which can impact the development of skills in the prolonged run.
Ghulam Rasool, a septuagenarian veteran, recalls his childhood when he used to enjoy day-long merry time with his friends and times of learning with elders. “Listening to the words of advice from Buzurgs after early dinner were deeply respected, now no more,” he said, adding his 16-year-old grandson hardly gets the time to meet him.
As we see ourselves more and more through the prism of the global village, we need to revive our old-time relationships with our relatives and friends by arranging get-togethers and family outings to rediscover each other naturally. And for that we need to put our phones on airplane mode.
- The author is an intern at Kashmir Observer
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