Effects of Social Network Sites (SNS) on the Psychological Health of College Students
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan
Rooh ul Amin
International Islamic University Islamabad
Dr. Khalid Sultan
National University of Modern Languages Islamabad
Abid Zafar
International Islamic University Islamabad
Abstract
The increasing trend of technological development and its acceptance by the users is a hallmark of this age. The proliferation of the most innovative technologies and its consequent convenience of information and communication via the internet have malformed the center and the fringe almost in the same manner. The social network sites (SNSs) are also attracting individuals because of their affordance and reach. The SNSs helped to connect people, groups and communities, with shared interest on Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter and Snap chat, etc. Heavy exposure to the SNS among the youth has now become ‘virtual addiction’ that at times brings about psychological health issues. Researchers have observed a correlation between stress, depression, low self- esteem, loneliness, and social network addiction and emphasized that such dependence affects the health and psychological status of a person. This paper is also an attempt to identify such correlations by conducting a study examining varying degrees of effects on heavy and light users both male and female in academic institutes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. The result showed a significant difference between heavy and light users for the stress levels. Females also experienced more stress than their male counterparts .it was found that female respondents were feeling more loneliness and their self-esteem got more affected as compared to males by their online activity.
