Youngsters ditch social media to prioritise mental wellbeing

In 2023, Saurabh Rathi, an engineer, chose to delete his social media profiles upon realising that he was staying up late scrolling through feeds and comparing himself to others' lives. Similarly, Shalini Bharadwaj, a management trainee, made the decision to quit social media this year after being constantly tempted to shop due to sponsored ads and influencers.Like them, many other youngsters are increasingly hitting the pause button on the incessant flow of likes, shares, and notifications of social media.


‘Social media not as vibrant as it used to be’
Bots and misinformation have cast a shadow over the once vibrant landscape of social media, draining the fun out of sharing our daily adventures. The pull of constantly showcasing our lives online has also waned, as per a recent study by the Wall Street Journal. Bhumika Singh, a chartered accountant, shares, “I used to buy so many products thinking if an influencer is buying it, it’s bound to be good. I soon realised that because something is good for someone else, there is no guarantee that it will suit you as well. I bought a couple of skincare products like this and regretted the decision soon. They did nothing for my skin and just left me really broke by the end of the month,” she adds.

‘Saying no to unnecessary information’
Then there’s doomscrolling — that relentless habit of endlessly scrolling through updates that most of us have fallen prey to. Sevya Pande, a digital marketer who quit social media last year, explains, “I didn’t even speak to a girl I was following, but I knew her favourite cafe, her pet’s name or when she broke up because I consumed so much of her life on social media. I didn’t want that, so I decided to quit social media.” The shift from oversharing has also sparked appreciation for the simple joys of life among people, like engaging in a new hobby, impromptu coffee dates with friends and more. “Once I started putting away my phone consciously, I had enough time at my hand to read, workout and even cook. I also started learning embroidery and it has been a really calming activity,” shares Kriti Vaswani, a makeup artist.

4,97,940+
Number of online searches in a month by Indians on how to quit social media
(Source: Reboot Online)


Constantly engaging on social media can:
-Impact mental health
-Trigger anxiety
-Encourage unhealthy comparisons other people
(As per Abhilasha Chauhan, a psychologist)
Studies have found that teens who spend seven hours or more, and adults who spend more than six hours in front of screens have a higher risk of depression

US surgeon gen calls for warning labels on social media platforms
American Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy is advocating for warning labels on social media platforms due to concerns about their impact on adolescents’ mental health