An Empirical Appraisal of The Impact of social media On Youths in Karnataka

Social media can be described as a ubiquitous phenomenon in the life of individuals, especiallythe youth after the beginning of the twenty-first century. Consequently, this paper aims todetermine the extent to which social media affects young people with regard to their health andconduct. The social sites like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, You Tube and other provide bettermedium of communication, construction of knowledge and self realization and too havepositive and negative impacts on the youth. Through the use of social media, education andemployment can be attained, but misuse could lead to time management problems and in somecases deadly consequences to mental health. New surveys show an increase of 70% for anxietyand depression for youth from the last quarter century and social networking is said to be themain cause. Bullying through electronic technology has remained ramped, and its impacts aresevere among the targeted individuals. Children & young adults often become victims ofidentity theft; thus, parents should explain acceptable use of the social networks, and limit thetime & access to these sites. However, it has to be noted that social media as a concept is notone that needs to be labelled as negative but one that depends on the usage. The youth beingthe most active customer base in electronics items and service providers are most at risk sincethey are more enchanted by such gadgets, risking their lives to health complications due toover-utilization. This paper seeks to discuss available forms of social media, their influence inthe society especially on the psychological well-being and conduct of the youths.