Gaurav Gogoi refers to 'Adolescence', seeks debate on social media impact on mental health of youth

New Delhi: Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi has highlighted the effect of social media on the mental health of the youth post-pandemic and sought a debate in Lok Sabha on the subject.

Raising the issue in the House on Thursday, Gogoi also referred to the Netflix series Adolescence, which highlighted the issue, along with the rise of online influencers promoting toxic masculinity.

Gogoi said mental health issues, exacerbated by growing dependence on online platforms post-pandemic, have become a growing concern among Indian youths.

The Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha said due to the social media impact, stress has been increasing, anxiety is going up and all these have affected the mental health of the youth in a big way.

He said academic pressure, cyberbullying and emotional distress have led to alarming student suicide rates. India has seen a concerning rise in number of student suicides, with about 40,000 youths ending life in the last five years, according to a survey, he said.

He referred to Adolescence to highlight the perils of this, and said, "We need to normalise the fact that real strength lies in facing emotions. We must promote emotional intelligence and open dialogue to help young people navigate stress and anxiety," he said.

Gogoi urged the House to hold a healthy debate on mental health of the youth.