GLOBAL SURGICAL ACCESS INEQUALITY: EVALUATING THE SURGICAL BURDEN AND UNMET NEEDS IN RURAL AND REMOTE REGIONS

As Ghana experiences a digital transformation, concerns are mounting over the psychological toll of excessive social media use on adolescents and young adults. With internet penetration rising sharply and digital interaction becoming habitual, this study was prompted by an urgent need to evaluate how overexposure to social media-through excessive screen time, cyber bullying, and self-image comparison-affects mental health, particularly depression, anxiety, cognitive fatigue, and sleep disorders. The objective was to examine these associations and determine the moderating role of socioeconomic status. A quantitative, secondary data design was adopted, analyzing responses from 105 validated participants using correlation and regression techniques. Key results showed that excessive screen time had the strongest statistical impact (r = 0.712; β = 0.491), followed by cyber bullying (r = 0.683; β = 0.463) and negative social comparison (r = 0.648; β = 0.429), with a combined model R² of 0.69 and an overall correlation coefficient of 0.83. The findings confirmed a significant and positive relationship between digital overuse and mental health decline, with socioeconomic status playing a significant negative moderating role (β = -0.377). These outcomes highlight the critical need for integrated mental health and digital literacy strategies across schools, health systems, and tech platforms. It is recommended that policymakers enforce screen time limits, promote ethical social media design, and scale up access to mobile mental health services, especially in underserved communities.