The digital world promised connection, information, and convenience— but in the process, it also began to quietly erode our mental health. From late-night senseless scrolling to the shock of a cruel comment on social media, the digital age has introduced psychological challenges we are just beginning to understand. It’s time we talk seriously about digital well-being.
The virtual world isn’t disappearing— but our mental health doesn’t have to as well. We can be wiser, more present, and more aware of protecting our mental well-being during an age where permanent connection threatens to become permanent isolation. We were given the promise of a more interconnected world
Internet addiction is a growing problem that affects people of all ages and is no longer just a trendy term. For many, the morning starts and ends with checking a phone. Notifications interrupt our meals, our chats, and even our capacity to sleep. Social media, originally a place of carefree connection, has become a space for endless comparison, validation-seeking, and pressure to put on a curated life.Teenagers today spend more time in front of the screen than they do communicating face-to-face— and adults are little better. We scroll endlessly through digital feeds, anticipating stimulation, but never finding meaningful connection or sustained happiness.
According to the Common Sense Media 2023 Census, American teens aged between 13 and 18 years old spend nearly nine hours per day on entertainment media alone, excluding homework. So much screen time is not only disruptive— it’s altering the way young people perceive the world, feel, and interact with others. Constant digital exposure alters attention spans, constructs self-concept, and corrodes face-to-face social skills.
The increase in cyberbullying is among the most upsetting consequences of digital dependence. What used to only exist in playgrounds and classrooms now follows people into their homes and most other private areas. In just a few seconds, a degrading video, a twisted picture, or a cruel message can go viral and cause irreversible emotional damage. Bullying is now more pervasive— and frequently more dangerous— than ever before due to the anonymity and reach offered by digital platforms.
Pakistan has witnessed its own fair share of horrific outcomes that have been linked to cyber harassment. In 2022, Naila Rind, who was a student at the University of Sindh, Jamshoro, committed suicide when she was being blackmailed with explicit photos by someone she had met on the internet. As reported by the media, she was threatened and emotionally intimidated, and her case thoroughly shocked the public conscience. Her own tragic death not only exposed the psychological cost of online falsehood but also the absence of institutional checks, internet literacy, and enforcement of cyber laws in Pakistan. The case sparked national outrage over the vulnerability of children in unregulated virtual environments— and the need for robust tools of protection and online safety training
How it has transformed every part of our existence is why this crisis is so much more devastating. Doomscrolling, comparing us to others, cyber-fighting, and requiring “likes” are all considered to be run-of-the-mill parts of contemporary life. But there are questions we should be asking ourselves: at what cost? Our brains were never designed to handle a shot of constant notification, judgment, and idealized portrayal. Time and time again, research has indicated that too much screen time is correlated with higher anxiety, depression, and loneliness in young adults and teens. The internet highlights feelings of inadequacy, narrows attention spans, and creates unrealistic expectations that erode emotional resilience.
But it is not a cause for which we should lose hope. The solution to the problem is not to reject technology, period—such a goal is neither attainable nor desirable. Instead, we simply need to rebalance our relationship with technology. What we need to do is develop a culture of digital mindfulness, where we are aware of how much time we spend online, what we are viewing, and how it impacts us emotionally and cognitively.
Social media and technology companies must be held accountable as well. Monetization models that rely on selling screen time and emotional hooks need to be reformulated. The platforms must begin placing more emphasis on user safety through the control of toxic content, improved privacy protection, and the creation of features that promote healthy usage— such as screen time notifications, content blocking, and AI-driven moderation tools.
In Pakistan, proper enforcement of existing cybercrime laws is essential from time to time. Although the laws are in place, loopholes in implementation, low digital literacy among the masses, and the absence of proper responsive reporting mechanisms render them inaccessible to most victims. Prevention in the long term is initiated with mass public awareness campaigns on cyber safety, ethical online behavior, and mental health assistance.
The virtual world isn’t disappearing— but our mental health doesn’t have to as well. We can be wiser, more present, and more aware of protecting our mental well-being during an age where permanent connection threatens to become permanent isolation.
We were given the promise of a more interconnected world.
Let us ensure that this is not achieved at the cost of our inner peace— our humanity
