Abstract
BACKGROUND: The rising prevalence of social media use among youth has prompted growing concern about its psychological implications. Platforms such as Instagram, which prioritises visual content and lifestyle displays, has been associated with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and stress. However, limited research in the Indian context has specifically addressed the mental health outcomes associated with content-specific engagement, particularly with food and restaurant-related imagery. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the association between Instagram usage frequency and mental health, measured through depression, anxiety and stress among youth aged 16-25 years in Pune, India. It further examined whether higher engagement with restaurant and food-related content correlates with increased psychological distress. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 300 participants using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and a structured Instagram usage questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and regression analysis to evaluate associations between usage patterns and psychological outcomes. RESULTS: The majority of participants (93%) reported daily Instagram use, with 32% categorised as heavy users (>3 hours/day). Heavy users showed significantly higher DASS-21 scores across all subscales. Depression (p = .003), anxiety (p = .019) and stress (p < .001) scores increased in a stepwise manner from light to heavy users. Participants who frequently followed restaurant-related content and acted upon such recommendations, reported significantly elevated stress and anxiety levels. Regression models confirmed that both total usage and content-specific engagement independently predicted psychological distress. CONCLUSION: Frequent Instagram use and high engagement with food and restaurants content is associated with elevated levels of depression, anxiety and stress in young adults. These findings emphasise the need for targeted digital literacy and mental health interventions tailored to content consumption behaviours in emerging adults.