Effects of Social Networking Sites on Students’ Psychosomatic Health in Western Odisha Universities During COVID-19 Pandemic – A statistical Analysis

ABSTRACT

Background: Social networking sites, the driver of every minute information has established a
tremendous pace among the youths. No doubt it has given a great platform for any individual to
exchange ideas and grab information from worldwide. Smartphones and internet connections
are all requirements, and everything is just with a click of a button. It has been observed that the
younger generation is very much prone to social networking sites. Social media and students
have developed such a bond that has resulted in numerous benefits, but every object has its
pros. and cons. Social networking sites (SNSs) has both positive and negative impact on the
day-to-day life of university students and that finally shows the consequences on their
psychosomatic health and academic performance (AP) and academic life. Aim: This research
study aims to examine how the COVID-19 outbreak influenced university students’ psychosomatic
health issues in western Odisha. The investigation will focus on determining the most preferred
social media platforms for university students in western Odisha and explore the effect of students’
dependence on social media and how it might be affecting their psychosomatic health. Methods
and Materials: The study will be both qualitative and quantitative based on primary data collected
through a questionnaire. The main purpose of this research is to explore and analyze the basic
concept underlying social networking sites as well as their applicability, usage, and impact on
students’ psychosomatic health. For ease of data comparison descriptive statistics, bar diagrams,
pie charts, and frequency count were used were as to draw valid statistical inference about the
population, testing of hypothesis, t-test, Man Whitney U test, Chi-square tests have been employed
as valid statistical tools to achieve the desired objectives. Conclusion: The study reveals that
the respondents mainly suffer from headaches, Anxiety, and Acidity by continuous use of social
networking sites through mobile phones. WhatsApp is found to be the most preferred platform.
The study also reveals that females are more susceptible to psychosomatic health diseases than
their male counterparts and there exists a significant association between psychosomatic health
and total time spent and active period on social networking sites.