Abstract

Social media have become an integral element in the lives of young people, offering communication, learning, work and information opportunities. This survey focuses on the positive and negative impacts of social media on young people of Jalalabad city, with special emphasis on awareness, education, skill development, job opportunities and the social life of the youth in regard to the positive and negative impacts and challenges regarding excessive use of social media. This study was conducted with a quantitative descriptive-analytical research design. Data collection methods were primary data in the form of questionnaires. Questionnaires were used in this study using Google Forms. The sample for the survey included 40 respondents, and descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage and mean scores) were used in analyzing the data obtained. The results show that social media have positive and negative consequences for young people. For the positive impact, 100% stated that social media give them access to advertisements and jobs, while 100% stated that it allows them to communicate and is helpful for awareness of the global culture. Further, 88.9% of them agreed that social media raises awareness about politics and adds positivity to youth skill building and 77.8% agreed that it is a source of information, skills, and education. When it came to the negative side, 100% agreed that unnecessary information causes confusion and ambiguity for young people, while 88.9% agreed that excessive social media use is detrimental to physical activity. Not to mention, 66.7% of them agreed social media can be a source of time wastage and can have a negative impact on social norms. Overall, the results show that there are educational, social, cultural and employment benefits of using social media, yet there could be physical, behavioral and time management issues if social media are used too much and not controlled. The study suggests a more balanced and responsible use with the support of digital literacy, parents' guidance and institutional awareness programs.

Keywords

Social Media Use Youth Positive Impacts Negative Impacts Information Access