The Digital Self: Personal Data Sharing and Its Impact on the Mental Health of Indian Youth

Abstract

The proliferation of digital technology in India has fundamentally transformed how young people construct and express identity, giving rise to the "digital self"—a curated online persona that frequently diverges from offline reality. This mixed-methods study combines primary survey data from 37 Indian young adults (aged 18-24) with comprehensive literature analysis to examine the complex relationship between digital identity formation, personal data sharing behaviors, and mental health outcomes.​The survey findings reveal significant mental health implications: 68.42% of respondents who experience pressure to maintain online image subsequently develop anxiety or depression, while a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.3401) exists between daily social media usage and psychological distress. Platform analysis indicates Instagram's dominance (75.7% usage) among youth, with 64.7% of 18-20 year-olds spending 1-3 hours daily on social media. Critically, content authenticity analysis shows that 50% of users aged 24+ report their online content does not reflect their true emotional state.​

These empirical findings underscore a growing mental health crisis intertwined with digital dependency, where validation-seeking behaviors drive performance stress and emotional concealment. The study advocates for integrated interventions involving digital literacy education, ethical platform design reforms, and strengthened enforcement of India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act), 2023.​