Exploring Social Network Usage and Well-Being Among College Students

Abstract

Social media plays a significant role in bringing the world together with just a click. However, social media addiction is rapidly increasing, especially among the youth, which affects their mental health and well-being. Instagram is one of the social media sites that is used mainly by students. Due to increasing exposure to Instagram, including the short videos, called Reels, today's students consume the content at an alarming rate, thus becoming addicted to it. College students tend to relentlessly use Instagram, without considering the time and energy wastage or addressing its impact on their mental health and well-being. The present study aimed to (1) explore the relationship between Instagram usage and mental well-being among college students in India, and (2) examine whether Instagram usage serves as a meaningful predictor of students’ mental well-being. The findings reveal a significant negative correlation (r = −0.332, p < .001) between Instagram usage and students’ well-being, indicating that higher Instagram use is associated with lower levels of mental well-being among college students. Further, a simple linear regression analysis confirmed that Instagram usage is a significant predictor of well-being (F(1, 154) = 19.099, p < .001), explaining a meaningful portion of the variance. The results highlight the need for educators, parents and other stakeholders to recognise the influence of social media, especially Instagram, on students’ mental health and well-being and develop strategies to promote healthier usage patterns.