SRINAGAR: A new peer-reviewed study has found that high school students in Kashmir who spend more time on smartphones, video games and messaging platforms show measurably poorer psychological well-being, with boys emerging as the most affected group. The research, Nexus Between Social Media Use and Mental Health Outcomes among High School Students in Kashmir, India, was published in the January 2026 issue of the Ianna Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies.
Conducted among 246 students from grades 7 to 12 in five schools, two rural and three urban, the study found a statistically significant negative relationship between technology use and psychological well-being. Video gaming showed the strongest association (r = -0.25, p < 0.001), followed by smartphone use (r = -0.16, p = 0.012) and text messaging (r = -0.14, p = 0.031).
More than a third of the students surveyed (35 per cent) reported only moderate psychological well-being, while 9.3 per cent reported poor well-being.
The study was led by public health researcher Muhammad Hoque of the Department of Public Health at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, with contributions from epidemiologists Syed Manzoor Qadri, Anjum Afshan Qadri and Maqsood Ul Hassan Khan, along with international collaborators including biostatistician David Adedia of the University of Health and Allied Sciences and psychologist Akram Uzzaman in Dhaka.
Additional contributors included Felix Kwasi Nyande of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, MyGirl Lowane, Olanrewaju Oladimeji and Mathildah Mokgatle from Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University.
Boys show the highest use and the lowest well-being
The study found a pronounced gender gap. Male students reported significantly higher levels of technology use across nearly all categories measured, including smartphone use (p = 0.009), general social media use (p = 0.005), media sharing (p = 0.002), video gaming (p < 0.001) and online friendships (p < 0.001).
Despite their greater engagement with digital platforms, male students reported significantly lower levels of psychological well-being compared with female students (p = 0.021).
Age also played a role. As students grew older, technology use increased while psychological well-being declined. The correlation between age and well-being was strongly negative (r = -0.33, p < 0.001), which the researchers linked to rising academic pressure, social expectations and increased digital exposure.
Anxiety linked to disconnection
The study also examined how students reacted when access to communication technologies was restricted.
More than 17 per cent of respondents reported moderate to very high anxiety when they could not make or receive mobile phone calls, while over 14 per cent reported similar anxiety when unable to send text messages. Around 12 per cent experienced comparable anxiety when unable to access social networking platforms.
Researchers found that such technology-related anxiety increased with heavier technology use, suggesting that frequent users are more dependent on their devices and more distressed when deprived of them.
Kashmir is an understudied setting
The authors argue that Kashmir represents a particularly important but under-examined setting for studying adolescent technology use. They note that the region’s socio-political environment may intensify the psychological effects of social media exposure among young people.
Interestingly, the study found that overall levels of heavy social media use among the students surveyed were lower than those reported in similar studies elsewhere. Researchers attributed this partly to factors such as limited internet infrastructure, school policies restricting device use and socioeconomic conditions.
Call for coordinated response
The researchers recommend a coordinated approach involving schools, families and policymakers to address the issue.
Schools, they suggest, should introduce digital literacy programmes that educate students about the risks of excessive social media use and strategies for responsible online behaviour. They also recommend embedding mental health services within schools to help students cope with technology-related stress.
Parents are encouraged to set clear limits on screen time, promote offline social interaction and maintain open conversations with children about digital life.
Policymakers, the study says, should support initiatives promoting digital wellness, safer internet practices and age-appropriate online content safeguards. The authors suggest that interventions should particularly focus on older male students, who appear to be most at risk.
Study limitations
The researchers caution that the study’s cross-sectional design does not allow for conclusions about causality. The reliance on self-reported data may also introduce bias, and factors such as family socioeconomic status and parental supervision were not directly examined.
They recommend further longitudinal research and multi-method studies to better understand the relationship between digital technology use and adolescent mental health in the region.
