The Impact of Social Media in Afghanistan: A Multi-Disciplinary Study

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