Digital media and student life in india during covid-19: cultural shifts, coping mechanisms, and communication patterns

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic affected education first, then it spread to social life, and cultural practices afterwards. College students in India were at the very bottom of the pile, as they had to cope with the struggle of academics, social life and cultural practices all at once. Conducted through digital media technology, the present research is about the ways of the students in Tamil Nadu who were in the pandemic times. The methods used for data collection included brainstorming sessions, interviews, digital diaries, and online discussion logs with college students.Major psychosocial and cultural experiences were fear psychosis, relationship deprivation, online dependence, ritual-less religiosity, gratitude and grief expressions, financial difficulties in online education, health hazards, and talent showcasing. The discovery indicates that digital media was a way for people to deal with the situation and also an avenue for creativity. However, it also exposed the risks of overuse, digital fatigue, and unequal access. The research emphasizes the double aspect of digital media in the development of resilience, identity, and culture, and technology's critical role in students' crisis experiences comes out loud and clear through the insights gained.