Undergraduates’ psychological health is crucial since it has a big impact on their general quality of life, personal growth, and academic achievement. Focus, motivation, and resilience are all improved by mental stability, which enables pupils to efficiently manage stress and deal with social and academic demands. Encouraging mental health cultivates self-worth, healthy connections, and emotional equilibrium—all of which are critical for surviving college life. Conversely, poor psychological health can result in problems like anxiety, depression, and a decline in academic performance. Thus, fostering a positive, healthy, and effective learning environment for undergraduate students depends on maintaining psychological well-being.
Social media is more than simply a place to post updates and selfies in the digital era; it has grown to be a significant factor influencing young people’s academic achievement and mental health worldwide. Social media use and smartphone dependence are quickly becoming defining characteristics of university life, especially among college freshmen.
Despite the promise of community, connection, and self-expression offered by social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (previously Twitter), an increasing amount of research indicates that these platforms have detrimental effects on mental health. This urgent problem is clarified by a recent study that examined the complex connection between social media use, smartphone addiction, and psychological well-being at a state university in Sri Lanka.
This timely research reveals an alarming pattern: the more students immerse themselves in the digital world, the more their psychological health suffers — especially when that usage turns into addiction. Without a doubt, social media has changed how people connect and communicate. It has had an especially significant impact on young people, including college students, who use it for amusement, education, and self-expression in addition to networking.
There are genuine and well-established benefits to social media for students, including access to professional health advice, online support groups, chances to form communities, and forums for exchanging ideas and experiences. But there is a concerning side to this coin. Concerns about the psychological effects of continuous social media use have grown.
Numerous studies, including this one from Sri Lanka, have found direct links between excessive social media use and mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, loneliness, poor sleep quality, body image dissatisfaction, cyberbullying, and even suicidal ideation. There is also the pervasive issue of the “fear of missing out” (FOMO), which can erode self-esteem and increase stress levels.
The research focuses not just on social media, but also on smartphone addiction – a modern behavioural problem that is increasingly becoming mainstream in academic culture. This addiction, which is defined as excessive and uncontrollable smartphone use that adversely impacts a person’s life, frequently shows up as compulsive scrolling, late-night surfing, and an inability to unplug, even during crucial social or academic events.
According to earlier research, smartphone addiction causes major medical, mental, and social problems, such as decreased attention spans, poor decision-making, and elevated psychological anguish. These findings are supported by a study conducted in Sri Lanka, which discovered that students who are addicted to cellphones frequently use them excessively for social networking, entertainment, and online gaming—habits that exacerbate psychiatric problems.
Using a quantitative methodology, the study polled 368 undergraduate students from six faculties at a particular state institution in Sri Lanka. Structured questionnaires were used to gather the data, and regression, correlation, and descriptive statistics were used for analysis. All pertinent student subgroups were represented thanks to stratified sampling.
The results demonstrated that social media use has a detrimental effect on wellbeing, that this effect is exacerbated by smartphone addiction, and that smartphone addiction itself is a contributing factor to poor mental health outcomes.
The results of this study have immediate ramifications for students, parents, teachers, and legislators; they are not merely scholarly. Today’s college students, who are digital natives, need to be inspired to use social media in a responsible manner and to become more conscious of how their online conduct is impacting their mental health. Students should keep an eye on their screen time and follow these suggestions: recognize how much time is spent on cellphones, particularly on social media sites, and engage in digital detoxification: establish limits on phone use, set aside time for offline activities to mentally rejuvenate, and look for in-person relationships: encourage in-person connections, give in-person conversations precedence over virtual ones, and consider the content: not all internet content encourages optimism or the truth, so be careful what you share and consume.
In addition, several suggestions are made for the parents to establish a nurturing environment: Lead by example and promote candid discussions about internet experiences without passing judgment. Encourage balanced digital behaviour, set an example of good electronic practices, and support offline hobbies: Encourage self-esteem-boosting and practical skill-building activities.
Lastly, some suggestions for universities that provide awareness initiatives are as follows: Organize lectures and workshops about the psychological impacts of digital behaviour and incorporate digital literacy. Provide mental health support and incorporate ethical tech use into the academic curriculum or orientation sessions. Expand the availability of university counselling services, particularly for students exhibiting symptoms of distress or digital addiction.
At the policy level, the government and educational authorities must acknowledge that psychological well-being is not optional — it is fundamental to academic success and future productivity. Regulations or guidelines for responsible digital use could go a long way in mitigating harm and fostering healthier campus environments. It calls for a shift in how we approach technology — from blind adoption to mindful engagement. With smartphones practically glued to our hands and social media woven into our daily routines, we must ask whether these tools are serving us or slowly eroding our mental health.
Although this study focuses on a single university in Sri Lanka, the ramifications are extensive. Future studies should broaden the focus to include more colleges, age groups, and longitudinal data to evaluate how students’ digital habits change over time. Qualitative research may also provide more profound understanding of the real-life experiences of students struggling with mental health issues and smartphone addiction.
Students need to learn not only how to use social media in this hyperconnected world, but also how to do it without becoming less of themselves in the process. The connections between internet conduct and mental health are genuine and becoming more pressing, as this study shows. Individuals, families, educators, and legislators must work together to solve the digital challenges that will influence our children’s future. We can make sure that technology continues to be a tool for development rather than a trap for distress by encouraging better digital habits and creating settings that place a high priority on psychological well-being.
By:
Mr. Nuwan Wasala, BSc Scholar, Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Management Studies, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka
Ms. Sakunthala Rathnakara, Senior Lecturer, Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Management Studies, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka
