Authors: Ms. Shivi Agarwal, Dr. Pratibha Sagar
Abstract: The rapid expansion of social media and digital communities has fundamentally reshaped human interaction, identity formation, and emotional expression. While digital platforms offer unprecedented opportunities for connection, creativity, and mental health advocacy, they also introduce new risks, including cyber bullying, social comparison, misinformation, and digital addiction. This paper rethinks mental health in the era of social media by adopting a cross-disciplinary perspective that integrates psychology, sociology, media studies, and cultural theory. Based on earlier research, the study explores how digital environments influence self-concept, emotional regulation, community formation, stigma reduction, and structural inequalities. It suggests that mental health in today’s digital world cannot be explained only as a personal or medical problem within an individual. Instead, it must be examined within broader technological, cultural, and socio-economic contexts. By analyzing both the empowering and harmful dimensions of digital communities, this paper proposes an integrative framework that balances digital literacy, ethical design, community accountability, and culturally sensitive mental health interventions.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19333920
