Effects of public perceptions and social conformity on behaviour and mental wellbeing of young adults in Pakistan

Collective perceptions and social conformity frequently influence an individual’s daily life-world. In this study, we explore how public perceptions and social conformity influence youth behaviour in Pakistan. We primarily focus on the cultural expression “Log kya kahenge”—meaning “What will people say?”—a phrase that significantly affects individuals’ actions and mental wellbeing. Using qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews with fifty interlocutors, we identify four response patterns: positive influence, negative influence, behavioural adaptation, and disregard. Findings show that about 40% of youths adjust their behaviour to meet societal expectations, while 30% associate the phrase with mental wellbeing challenges such as anxiety, shame, and self-doubt. Resonating with anthropological work on the relationship between culture and personality such as Mead’s Coming of Age in Samoa(1928), which highlights enculturation’s role in identity formation, this study reveals a dialectic between social surveillance and personal agency, with individuals exhibiting higher self-esteem demonstrating resilience through resistance to normative pressures. While social feedback can catalyze personal growth, it more frequently engenders distress related to body image, identity, and autonomy, positioning “Log kya kahenge” as a mechanism of social control with dual effects on agency and wellbeing. Internalisation of norms like this phrase functions as a form of social control, with conformity exerting both positive and negative effects on personal agency and mental wellbeing. The findings emphasise the urgent need for youth-focused mental wellbeing programmes, including psychoeducation, resilience-building initiatives, and culturally sensitive workshops to address issues of body image and self-identity.