Social Media responsible for depression in youth, feels Katrina Kaif

Excessive obsession with social media is driving youngsters to the brink of depression says Katrina, who advocates the youth to engage more with the real world.

Katrina Kaif thinks that the youth of today are not living in the real world and that social media is responsible for them facing depression.

“In today’s time of social media, the young lot is really running away from real and basic things. They are indeed going through mental health problems and leading a life of confusion,” the actress believes.

Taking note of the problem that is afflicting the youth, Katrina avers, “In the future, when I will have kids, I will surely keep them away from social media. Till I can manage to keep them away, I will do so. I will see that my children get involved with more physical activity and learn things through practical knowledge.”

Katrina feels it is difficult to debate or talk on depression. “It is really difficult to discuss on this topic. The youth of today needs to know that at times their emotions start ruling both your heart and mind. At this time we all tend to flow with our emotions, without evaluating what is wrong and what is right,” she says.

Giving instances of this, she explains, “Just suppose that you have had a break-up in life owing to which you do not wish to live any more. You start feeling as if everything is over. At this point in time you will notice that your heart may be feeling something while your mind may be thinking just the contrary to what your heart may say or feel.”

Katrina adds, “What we are going through and what actually has happened to us at that point in time is what we are trying to understand to the best of our abilities. But really speaking, we refuse to understand what has happened to us. I too have faced such situations personally. Whenever I become emotional on something, I start considering it to be the truth. But the truth, in real terms, is something else which we fail to realize at that point in time. We face so many things in life, we may react differently every time. But then, the fact is — we are not realizing the truth at all.”

Citing an example of the bad effect of social media she elaborates, “Just recently,  I had returned from a wedding. I decided to go out and treat myself to a lunch in a restaurant near my residence. Treating yourself for lunch is a simple thing. But then I immediately thought of the paparazzi who would be waiting to click me. Being a peoples’ figure, I thought I would have to wear some make up and do my hair. If my photograph was published, and was not up to the mark’, the photos could be trolled. So I dropped the idea of treating myself outside in a restaurant. Seven to eight years earlier, this was not the condition.”

In conclusio, she says, “Now, I am not asking them to disconnect themselves from worldly things. But they need to spend more of their time on their studies, believe in doing more of physical activities, and focus on other important things in life,” and argues that it is this that will help them progress in life.