Reels as Digital Leisure and Sociability: A Sociological Study of Young Adults in Kolkata

Abstract In recent years, short-form video platforms such as Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, and YouTube Shorts have become central to the leisure practices of young people in India. The present research paper explores how Reels are woven into the everyday lives of young adults in Kolkata, with particular attention to the ways they use these platforms during their free time and how such practices influence sociability. The study is based on primary data from fifty respondents between the ages of 18 and 26, collected through purposive and snowball sampling using interviews and Google Forms. A mixed-method approach was employed, combining descriptive statistics with thematic analysis of open-ended responses. The findings indicate clear gendered differences: young women were more likely to create and share Reels, engaging with a wide range of content, while young men tended to remain passive viewers. Beyond these differences, the study shows how Reels function as a new kind of 'digital adda'—a playful space for sharing and interaction—while also reinforcing individualized, algorithm-driven forms of leisure. Drawing on Simmel’s notion of sociability and contemporary debates on liquid modernity, the paper argues that Reels represent both continuity and change: they extend familiar patterns of youth interaction, yet also reshape leisure into more fragmented and individualized experiences.