Social Media Use and Its Impact on Mental Health and Social Relationships among Pakistani Youth

Abstract

Social media has become an integral part of young people's daily lives, offering opportunities for communication, education, and social interaction while raising concerns about its effects on mental health and interpersonal relationships. This study examined the impact of social media use on the mental health and social relationships of youth in Pakistan and explored the roles of social comparison, Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), self-esteem, sleep quality, and cyberbullying. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed, and data were collected from 420 social media users aged 15–30 years through a structured questionnaire. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity, with Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.81 to 0.91, Composite Reliability values from 0.84 to 0.93, and a Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin value of 0.914. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), and bootstrapped mediation analysis. The findings showed that 92.1% of respondents used WhatsApp, 88.3% used YouTube, and 81.2% used Instagram, while 41.9% spent 2–4 hours and 46.4% spent more than 5 hours daily on social media. SEM results indicated that social media use had a significant positive effect on mental health problems (β = 0.51, p < 0.001) and social relationships (β = 0.29, p < 0.001). Social comparison (β = 0.22), FoMO (β = 0.27), and cyberbullying (β = 0.26) significantly increased psychological distress, whereas self-esteem (β = −0.24) and sleep quality (β = −0.31) were associated with better mental health (all p < 0.001). Bootstrapping confirmed a significant indirect effect (β = 0.184, p < 0.001), indicating partial mediation. The study concludes that while social media enhances communication and social connectedness, excessive use is associated with adverse psychological outcomes, highlighting the need for digital literacy, responsible online behavior, and targeted mental health interventions for Pakistani youth.