The lockdown has made a shift in the social media usage of every individual.  The online meeting applications like Zoom , Google meet have seen a rapid increase in the number of users in the lockdown. Added to that the social media websites have seen huge traffic. Instagram is one of the most used social media applications by the Youth.

One of the main reasons of using this application is because it caters to a lot of features. One can not only add date , count downs ,polls but can also add music and make their videos more interesting an appealing . One of the main components that has been a recent addition to the instagram users is “Reels”. Reels is a feature by instagram where one can add  favourite music to their  videos . This is done to engage maximum audience in the content.

We are aware of the number of benefits the reels cater to. Starting from making your videos interesting , to convey the message within a short span of time – “Reels have made a mark in the conscience of the users”. However there are several adverse effects of using Instagram .  The reels consume a long duration of the Youth and thus ,they are seen spending more than six hours (average) in a day , just watching reels. Reels have also lessened the attention span of the viewers as now they are so used to getting information in the visual mode in a short span of time , they hardly read and look for details.

A recent research have also shown that Instagram is over taking all other mediums because of its connectivity and features. The time which has the most engagment on instagram is during the night after 10 p.m.. The research academy of USA , has shown that using instagram in the late hours can actually cause , headache ,anxiety and strain in the eyes. This is because the colour density and brightness features are not equally balanced by every user while they upload their videos which can create a major problem. Thus this is one of the majorreasons of Social Media Addiction.

A lot of people also keep checking the notifications from time to time . People are actually so engrossed in social media that they often forget to take a break and relax. Over usage of social media platforms have a lot of adverse effects . Starting from problems in concentration ,to self loathing and feeling insecurity seeing the picture perfect lives of others are just a few of them. However wheather to extract the benefits or the adverse effects of  social  media  are in hands of the users and  their decision have a direct impact towards in their lives.

By Subhechcha Ganguly