In an age where life is lived one scroll at a time, young people are more connected than ever—and yet, increasingly disconnected from themselves. Rising rates of depression, anxiety, and emotional burnout among youth have become a global concern. In an eye-opening podcast, Srishti Sen, a budding psychologist, unpacks this silent crisis and asks a difficult but necessary question: What is being young and online really doing to our minds?
Depression among young adults is no longer an isolated issue confined to extreme circumstances. It has seeped into everyday life—classrooms, bedrooms, and phone screens. According to Srishti, today’s youth are growing up under constant psychological pressure: academic expectations, career uncertainty, social validation, and an unending comparison culture.
Unlike previous generations, young people now measure their worth not just through real-world achievements but through likes, views, and online approval. This constant evaluation creates a fragile sense of self, where confidence rises and falls with every notification—or the lack of it.
Social Media: Connection or Comparison?
One of the podcast’s strongest insights lies in its exploration of social media’s hidden impact. While platforms promise connection, they often deliver comparison. Carefully curated feeds showcase success, beauty, productivity, and happiness—rarely the struggles behind them.
Srishti explains that repeated exposure to such content can distort reality. Young users begin to believe that everyone else is happier, more successful, and more confident. Over time, this fuels feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, and hopelessness—key contributors to depression.
The Pressure to Perform—Always
Being young today doesn’t come with pauses. There is pressure to be productive, socially active, emotionally available, and aesthetically perfect—all at once. Even rest has become performative, something to be posted rather than felt.
The podcast highlights how this “always-on” culture leaves little room for emotional processing. Feelings are suppressed, ignored, or masked behind humour and trends. Mental health struggles are often acknowledged online, yet not truly addressed offline.
When the Screen Becomes a Coping Mechanism
Ironically, the very tools that worsen mental health often become coping mechanisms. Scrolling numbs discomfort. Reels distract from anxiety. Late-night screen time replaces sleep. Over time, this creates a cycle where avoidance deepens distress.
Srishti points out that excessive screen use doesn’t cause depression on its own, but it amplifies existing vulnerabilities—disrupting sleep, reducing attention span, and limiting real human connection.
Taking Back Control
The podcast doesn’t stop at diagnosis, it offers direction. One of the most empowering messages is that reclaiming mental well-being doesn’t require quitting the internet altogether. It starts with awareness and small, intentional changes.
Setting boundaries with screen time, curating healthier online content, prioritizing offline relationships, and allowing boredom are simple yet powerful steps. Most importantly, Srishti emphasizes the need to normalize seeking help—whether through conversations, counseling, or simply admitting that something doesn’t feel right.
A Generation That Needs Listening
Today’s youth are not weak; they are overwhelmed. They are navigating a world that moves faster than emotional growth can keep up with. This podcast serves as both a mirror and a guide—reflecting uncomfortable truths while offering hope.
By understanding the psychological cost of constant connectivity, young people can begin to build a healthier relationship with technology—and with themselves.
In a world that never stops scrolling, perhaps the bravest act is to pause, log off, and listen to your mind..
