Social Media Usage Patterns Among Youth in India and Iraq: A Comparative Study

Worldwide, and especially among young people, the communication environment has been profoundly altered by the exponential growth of digital technologies. a look at how young people in two culturally different but rapidly developing countries, Iraq and India, use social media. Finding out what factors—social, cultural, psychological, and infrastructure-related—influence the social media habits of young people (15–24 years old) and how often and what kinds of activities they engage in is the main goal. The research team used a mixed-methods strategy, collecting quantitative data from students in urban and semi-urban locations through structured surveys and qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews and secondary literature review. Findings show significant differences in platform preferences, duration of use, and motivations for engagement. Iraqi youth, influenced by political and social contexts, show substantial interaction on TikTok and Telegram, while Indian youth show higher engagement with visual platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram. Other important elements that shape user behaviour include cultural attitudes, gender conventions, internet accessibility, and socio-political instability.