Digital Dependency and Changing Social Relationships among College Students in Kerala: A Sociological Study

Abstract

Digital media and mobile technology have become embedded in everyday social life, shaping communication patterns, interpersonal relationships, and self-identity. Among young adults, smartphones function not only as communication tools but also as emotional and social extensions of the self. This study investigates how digital dependency influences the social relationships of college students in Kerala. A qualitative research approach was adopted, with semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions conducted among 45 students in three colleges in Palakkad district. The analysis shows that digital dependency produces a mixed outcome. It facilitates sustained communication, peer bonding, and identity performance while simultaneously weakening face-to-face interaction, increasing emotional fatigue, and fostering comparison-oriented anxiety. The study argues that digital dependency is a sociocultural phenomenon tied to peer expectations, belonging needs, and evolving communication norms. The findings contribute to sociological debates on youth culture, emotional life, and the network society in contemporary India.