The role of social media among Secondary Level students of West Bengal

Abstract: Social media has become an integral part of students' lives, influencing their habits, lifestyle, and academic performance. With the growing digitalization of education and communication, this study aims to analyze how students from different socio-demographic backgrounds engage with social media and its effects on their daily lives.The study also aims to explore relationship between different types of social media usage like Entertainment, Education, Travel, and Lifestyle on the basis of gender, habitat, caste, family type, and monthly income Using a survey method, data was collected from a randomly selected sample of 400 secondary-level students. The findings reveal significant variations in social media usage based on habitat, gender, caste, and family income. Urban and rural students were found to use social media more frequently than those from semi-urban areas. Male students exhibited higher usage compared to female students. Additionally, students from UR and OBC categories engaged more with social media than SC and ST students. The study also found that urban students primarily used social media for entertainment, while semi-urban students were more inclined toward lifestyle-related content. Furthermore, students from higher-income families (above ₹20,000) used social media more for entertainment compared to those from lower-income backgrounds. These insights emphasize educators, parents, and policymakers to develop techniques for accountable social media use, ensuring a balance between digital engagement and academic and social well-being.

Keywords: Social Media Usage, Secondary Level Students, Urban, Rural, Digital Engagement, Digital Technology, Entertainment and Lifestyle, Student Well-being, Social Media Addiction, Mental Health Impact