Social Media Usage Among Youth in Punjab: Platform Preferences, Usage Habits, and Academic Impact

Year : 2025 | Volume : 15 | Issue : 02 | Page : 21-30
    By

    Eric Kwasi Elliason,

  • Atul Khajuria,

  • Stephen Monday,

  • J. Samuel Kamanda,

  1. Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Desh Bhagat University, Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, India
  2. Director, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Desh Bhagat University, Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, India
  3. Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Desh Bhagat University, Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, India
  4. Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Desh Bhagat University, Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, India

Abstract

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Background: The role of social media in daily life and communication activities continues to grow, especially among young people. Given the shift towards more social interaction and engagement online, it is important to look at the preferences of the platforms, their habits of usage, and how they relate with academic engagement. This research study analyzes the social media utilization patterns of youth residing in Punjab, India with the aim of determining the dominant platform, cross gender differences, and its academic consequences. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,650 young individuals, aged 16 to 35 years, residing in Punjab. Socio-demographic characteristics like the platforms accessed, duration of social media activity per day, Information was gathered via an electronic structured questionnaire which included items on demographic profile, preferred social media platform, volume of social media use, and academic performance. SPSS (Version 29) was used for Statistical analysis describing the variables, performing independent t-test and chi-square analysis to find differences and relationships of social media use by gender differences and relationships of academic engagement. Results: The examination revealed that WhatsApp and Instagram ranked as the most used apps as per respective percentages of 26.2 and 20.8%. Next in line was Facebook at 14.8% and YouTube at 10.2%. For platform usage there were no notable differences with respect to gender (t=–0.294, p=.769) for both males and females. The chi-square test (χ²=23.726) also showed no statistical correlation with gender and platform selection. During the survey, participants claimed to use social media for an average of 3.26 h (SD=1.249) a day, with moderate usage while studying conducted at (M=3.09, SD=1.457). Academic use of social media, however, was low (M=1.69, SD=0.463) which indicates that the use of social media was primarily for entertainment and interaction. In addition, very few participants took breaks from studying, and social media focus for academic work, (M=2.43, SD=1.289) showed how ineffective these digital detox strategies were. Conclusion: The results highlight the rapid adoption of texting and image-centered platforms by youth in Punjab, with little variation between male and female users. Despite its popularity, the academic value of social media is almost nonexistent, which is troubling. The results emphasize the need for digital wellbeing approaches, managed social media pauses, and proactive measures aimed at productive educational engagement with social media.

Keywords: Youth, social media utilization, platforms, pro-social digital activities, academic productivity, digital detox

[This article belongs to Journal of Communication Engineering & Systems ]

How to cite this article:
Eric Kwasi Elliason, Atul Khajuria, Stephen Monday, J. Samuel Kamanda. Social Media Usage Among Youth in Punjab: Platform Preferences, Usage Habits, and Academic Impact. Journal of Communication Engineering & Systems. 2025; 15(02):21-30.
How to cite this URL:
Eric Kwasi Elliason, Atul Khajuria, Stephen Monday, J. Samuel Kamanda. Social Media Usage Among Youth in Punjab: Platform Preferences, Usage Habits, and Academic Impact. Journal of Communication Engineering & Systems. 2025; 15(02):21-30. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/joces/article=2025/view=0


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Regular Issue Subscription Original Research
Volume 15
Issue 02
Received 25/03/2025
Accepted 08/04/2025
Published 24/04/2025
Publication Time 30 Days
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