Published Jan 30, 2026 | 10:49 AM ⚊ Updated Jan 30, 2026 | 11:08 AM
Evidence suggests that frequent face-to-face socialising correlates with higher mental well-being. (iStock)
Synopsis: Kerala recorded a suicide death rate (SDR) of 30.6, higher than the national rate of 12.3. Telangana showed a similarly high rate, while Tamil Nadu registered 25.3 — states where Facebook data showed people are connected to friends scattered across multiple districts and states.
When friends are mostly social media profiles rather than real ones, deaths by suicide increase, the Economic Survey 2025-26 revealed.
The Survey presented a troubling pattern: states where people maintain friendships through social media are reporting far higher suicide rates than states where people stick to friends in their local communities.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey, authored by Chief Economic Advisor VA Anantha Nageswaran, in Parliament on Thursday, 29 January.
Kerala recorded a suicide death rate (SDR) of 30.6, higher than the national rate of 12.3. Telangana showed a similarly high rate, while Tamil Nadu registered 25.3 — states where Facebook data showed people are connected to friends scattered across multiple districts and states.
Contrastingly, Bihar recorded a suicide rate of just 0.7, and Uttar Pradesh showed 3.9, representing suicide rates up to 40 times lower than Kerala.
In these states, people’s online friendships largely mirror their offline relationships within their own districts and neighbourhoods.
“States having districts with higher connectedness, and thus better in-person social networks, are generally seen as having lower suicide death rates,” the survey stated.
Incidentally, the Economic Survey provided the startling data even as Kerala is yet to recover from the shock caused by the death by suicide of a 16-year-old girl from Thiruvaniyoor, a Kochi suburb.
The girl, found dead in a quarry pond on 27 January, said in a death note that she had been disturbed by the demise of a Korean friend, whom she had befriended on social media. Police are still investigating the incident.
According to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) estimates, 99 out of every 100 people in Kerala have access to the internet. The national average stands at just 68 per 100, based on figures collected till 31 March 2025.
In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, people’s relationships have been like massive banyan trees—roots deeply embedded in one place, branches spreading out to provide shade for the entire neighbourhood. Everyone gathers under the same tree; all are familiar faces.
In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the pattern is different. It’s like seeds scattered by the wind across a vast field—each seed grows somewhere far away, connected only by the memory of the wind that had carried them. The connections exist, but they’re spread so thin across geography that when you need shelter, there’s no nearby tree to stand under.
“Bihar and Uttar Pradesh display notably sparse chord networks, with thick, concentrated arcs within each district, suggesting that their digital social universe is primarily rooted and bounded within district-level communities,” the survey explained.
“This sparsity of cross-district ties suggests that communities remain relatively geographically anchored, relying more heavily on local, in-person social bonds,” it said.
Meanwhile, “Kerala and Tamil Nadu exhibit densely woven networks of chords radiating across districts, indicating that their online social fabric is highly dispersed and geographically diffuse, and hence lower in person-to-person social connection. This is reflected in the relatively higher SDRs of 30.6 in Kerala and 25.3 in Tamil Nadu.”
The survey used Facebook’s Social Connectedness Index (SCI), examining over 60 million pairs of linkages between geographical areas across India. The index measures the relative probability of a Facebook friendship link between two users in different locations.
To closely approximate in-person connectedness, the survey focused on connections within districts, “since a within-district connection on Facebook is likely to have an in-person counterpart as well,” meaning if your Facebook friend lives in your district, you can probably meet them for coffee. If they live 500 kilometres away, that coffee chat remains forever digital.
The survey used chord diagrams to visualise these patterns. In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the diagrams showed “fewer chords and relatively bigger arcs,” indicating that most social connections stay within district boundaries—like banyan trees with deep local roots.
In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the diagrams showed “densely woven networks of chords radiating across districts”—like seeds scattered far and wide, creating connections that look impressive on a map but offer little shelter when you need it.
The findings come as India has experienced explosive digital growth. Internet users jumped from 25.15 crore in 2014 to 96.96 crore in 2024.
Today, 85.5 per cent of households own at least one smartphone, and roughly 35 crore Indians are active on social media.
But here’s the paradox: the more connected we are online, the more disconnected some communities have become offline.
“India’s youth are living in an intensely digital environment,” the survey warned. “While access fuels learning, jobs, and civic participation, compulsive and high-intensity use can impose real economic and social costs.”
“Evidence suggests that frequent face-to-face socialising correlates with higher mental well-being,” the survey stated, underlining the importance of offline social connections.
The survey described digital addiction as “persistent, excessive, or obsessive computer and online use, causing impairment in psychology,” with social media addiction “strongly associated with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and cyberbullying stress,” particularly amongst those aged 15-24.
“Compulsive scrolling and social comparison are particularly linked to anxiety and depressive symptoms,” the survey noted.
The survey also found that gaming disorder causes “sleep disruption, aggression, social withdrawal, and depression,” whilst online gambling and real money gaming lead to “financial stress, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.”
“Digital addiction negatively affects academic performance and workplace productivity due to distractions, ‘sleep debt’, and reduced focus,” the survey warned. “It also erodes social capital through weaker peer networks, lower community participation, and diminished offline skills.”
The survey referenced research showing that “humans are highly social animals, and our psychological and physical well-being is strongly related to our social connectedness and integration into social networks.”
The title of the survey’s section captured this perfectly: “Getting by, with a little help from friends.” But the data shows people need friends—neighbours who can drop by your house, not just contacts who can drop a ‘like’ on your post.
The survey called for urgent action but warned against demonising technology. “India’s challenge is to rebalance youth engagement by combining restrictive safeguards with positive offline opportunities and not to demonise technology.”
It recommended creating more physical spaces where young people can meet—youth clubs, sports facilities, community centres—particularly in urban slums and rural areas where such spaces are scarce.
Schools should introduce a “Digital Wellness Curriculum” teaching children about healthy screen time. The survey suggested “device-free hours,” “shared offline activities,” and even promoting “simpler devices for children, such as basic phones or education-only tablets.”
The Tele-MANAS mental health helpline (14416), which has received over 32 lakh calls since launching in 2022, should be expanded to specifically help people dealing with digital addiction.
“A major challenge in addressing digital addiction in India is the lack of comprehensive national data on its prevalence and mental health effects,” the survey acknowledged. The upcoming Second National Mental Health Survey, led by NIMHANS and commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is expected to provide these crucial insights.
The survey’s message is profound: in an age where you can have thousands of friends online scattered like seeds across the country, what matters most is whether you have a banyan tree of relationships in your own neighbourhood—a strong, rooted network that can shelter you when storms arrive.
“That balance respects the role of technology in modern learning and work whilst addressing the overloads that harm sleep, mood, attention, and finances, ensuring that we can mitigate economic losses, protect mental health, and maintain digital progress as a driver of empowerment rather than addiction,” the survey added.
For Kerala, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu—states racing ahead in digital connectivity—the survey offers a sobering reminder: progress isn’t just about online friends. It’s about a deep connection with and proximity to people. Sometimes, one strong banyan tree is worth more than a thousand scattered seeds.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
