Social media leaves youth mentally drained

Mumbai: A study conducted by the Union ministry of health and family welfare recently revealed that Mumbai has the highest number of people who are currently being treated for mental illness in India, with 38,588 active cases. Psychologists assert that with the overuse of social media these days, youngsters are falling prey to mental illness. Dr Sagar Mundada, a psychologist, working with the civic-run KEM Hospital  said that the trend of posting everything on the social media, and constantly checking the number of likes and comments on the post has had an effect on the person’s mental health.

According to the study, Mumbai was followed by Kolkata with 27,394 cases of mental illness and Bangalore with 24,348 cases.

These mental illnesses include everything from depression, sleep disorders and multiple personality disorders.

Dr Mundada said, “The trend of comparison sets in when a person sees a post on a social networking website where ‘x’ person is happy, enjoying their life to the fullest. Now it is common tendency that one will only upload the happy pictures on the social networking website, which is often misunderstood by the patient saying that it is only him/her who is having a hard time in life.”

Dr Mundada added that this behaviour vindicates the idiom, ‘Grass is always greener on the other side’, and the patient ultimately slips into depression due to this. He also said that due to overuse of social media, it becomes a person’s agenda to get the most number of likes/comments on the picture posted on it.”