Perceived Positive and Negative Social Media Experiences among Adolescent Students in Guwahati, Assam: A Descriptive Survey

Background: Adolescents may perceive social media as a source of learning and social support while also reporting unfavourable emotional experiences. Locally grounded descriptive evidence can inform research questions without establishing the psychological effects of social media. Objective: To describe favourable and unfavourable social-media-related experiences reported by higher-secondary students in Guwahati, Assam. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey involved a purposively selected group of 90 students aged 16–19 years. An 18-item, researcher-developed yes/no questionnaire, reviewed for relevance and clarity by two subject experts, recorded account access, use patterns and perceived experiences. Eighty-four students who reported having a social-media account contributed responses to the subsequent items; the analysis used counts and percentages. Results: Of 90 students, 84 (93.3%) reported social-media account access. Among the 84 account holders, 46 (54.8%) reported more than three hours of daily use. Favourable responses included productive use (88.1%), self-expression (76.2%), perceived mental-health awareness (77.4%) and belonging (58.3%). Unfavourable responses included moodiness after use (57.1%), sensitivity to likes or comments (45.2%), loneliness (44.0%), reduced confidence (41.7%) and perceived distance from family or friends (38.1%). Conclusion: Respondents reported a mixture of favourable and unfavourable experiences. These item-level responses do not establish causality, clinical diagnoses or population prevalence. Larger studies with clearer sampling procedures and validated measures are needed.