Ehsan Hedayatullah, Ramakee Abdul Wakil, Barakati Tamana, Yosufi Abubakr, Azimi Shamila, Aminpoor Hasibullah, Eshraqi Ali Maisam, Kamal Fariha, Ghazanfari Farahnaz, Ibrahimkhil Munir Ahmad, Nikyar Mohammad Edriss, Karimi Ali Sina
Medical Sciences Research Center, Ghalib University, Kabul, Afghanistan.
Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Kabul University of Medical Sciences, Kabul, Afghanistan.
J Multidiscip Healthc. 2024 Jul 5;17:3121-3139. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S468845. eCollection 2024.
The rapid growth of social media has profoundly transformed communication, community building, and information sharing worldwide. In Afghanistan, the proliferation of social media platforms has significantly impacted the social, cultural, and political landscape, particularly among the youth.
This multi-disciplinary study aims to explore the diverse effects of social media on Afghan youth, focusing on usage patterns, mental health implications, entertainment-driven time allocation, financial expenditures, exposure to explicit content, and academic performance.
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between September and December 2023, gathering responses from 1556 participants (67% males, 33% females) through various social media platforms. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0, employing statistical tests such as ANOVA and Chi-Square to examine relationships between social media usage and its impacts.
The study reveals significant links between social media usage and demographic, behavioral, and mental health factors. Key findings include Facebook as the most used platform (83.6%), with the majority of participants spending 1-3 hours daily on social media. Age differences in time spent were significant (F=15.64, p<0.001). Entertainment was the primary use (45.5%), with gender differences in engagement levels. High anxiety (78.5%) and moderate depression (38.3%) were reported. Significant associations between social media use and mental health were found (eg, χ2=591.87, p<0.001 for nervousness). Excessive use negatively impacted study habits, with 25.7% feeling it hindered their academic performance.
This study highlights the multifaceted impacts of social media on Afghan youth, including both positive aspects like enhanced communication and empowerment and negative aspects such as mental health issues and academic challenges. The significant relationships between social media usage and various life aspects underscore the need for targeted interventions to promote healthy digital habits and mitigate adverse effects. Further research is recommended to explore long-term impacts and effective strategies for managing social media use among Afghan youth.
社交媒体的迅速发展深刻改变了全球的交流、社区建设和信息共享方式。在阿富汗，社交媒体平台的激增对社会、文化和政治格局产生了重大影响，尤其是在年轻人当中。
这项多学科研究旨在探讨社交媒体对阿富汗青年的多种影响，重点关注使用模式、对心理健康的影响、娱乐时间分配、财务支出、接触露骨内容以及学业成绩。
于2023年9月至12月进行了一项横断面在线调查，通过各种社交媒体平台收集了1556名参与者（67%为男性，33%为女性）的回复。使用SPSS 26.0版本对数据进行分析，采用方差分析和卡方检验等统计方法来检验社交媒体使用与其影响之间的关系。
该研究揭示了社交媒体使用与人口统计学、行为和心理健康因素之间的显著联系。主要发现包括：Facebook是使用最频繁的平台（83.6%），大多数参与者每天在社交媒体上花费1至3小时。在使用时间上存在显著的年龄差异（F = 15.64，p < 0.001）。娱乐是主要用途（45.5%），在参与程度上存在性别差异。报告显示高焦虑率（78.5%）和中度抑郁率（38.3%）。发现社交媒体使用与心理健康之间存在显著关联（例如，紧张情绪的χ2 = 591.87，p < 0.001）。过度使用对学习习惯产生负面影响，25.7%的人认为这阻碍了他们的学业成绩。
本研究强调了社交媒体对阿富汗青年的多方面影响，包括增强沟通和赋权等积极方面以及心理健康问题和学业挑战等消极方面。社交媒体使用与生活各方面之间的显著关系凸显了采取针对性干预措施以促进健康数字习惯并减轻不利影响的必要性。建议进一步开展研究，以探索长期影响以及管理阿富汗青年社交媒体使用的有效策略。
