The Illusion of Happiness: Between Screens, Silence, and the Unending Pursuit

The ‘International Day of Happiness’ has just passed us by—on March 20. Like countless other days, it arrived quietly and departed without leaving much of a trace. Now it will return only next year. We remain so entangled in the complexities of everyday life that we could not even pause to truly experience what a “day of happiness” is meant to feel like. That day, too, dissolved into anxieties—worries over a single gas cylinder, the echoes of bombings in the Middle East, and the grim headlines splashed across the pages of newspapers.

Yet, amidst all this, one report managed to draw attention. Ironically, it too was about happiness—but instead of offering comfort, it deepened unease, anxiety, and introspection. This was the World Happiness Report—not an ordinary document, but a comprehensive study conducted by prestigious institutions such as Oxford University, the United Nations, and the renowned Gallup Research in the United States. Covering around 140 countries, and published consistently for the past 14 years, this report examines multiple dimensions of happiness while also ranking nations based on their perceived levels of well-being.

According to the report, a country’s happiness does not depend solely on income or economic development. It is shaped equally by factors such as social support, trust, freedom, generosity, and levels of corruption. Truth be told, we are quite aware of how happy—or unhappy—we are as a society; we hardly need a report to tell us that. And yet, there was little surprise in finding ourselves ranked somewhere around 116. Perhaps the only consolation was that among 140 countries, we were at least 24 places above the bottom. But what truly stood out this year was the report’s focus on the relationship between social media and happiness. And rightly so—for in today’s world, the influence of social media is impossible to ignore. Our private lives themselves have become entangled within its web.

The report further observes that societies with stronger real-world, face-to-face interactions tend to exhibit significantly higher levels of life satisfaction. In essence, happiness is deeply influenced—not just by material conditions—but also by how, how much, and why people engage with social media. The findings suggest that happiness thrives best when social media usage is limited. Individuals who spend less than an hour a day on social media appear to be the most content and emotionally balanced.

Particularly among the youth, excessive screen time and heavy social media usage have been identified as major contributors to declining mental health. Loneliness and a growing tendency to compare oneself with others are becoming increasingly common. The conclusion is stark: the more we immerse ourselves in social media, the less satisfied we become with our lives. This trend is most pronounced among young people. Social media, instead of fulfilling us, is quietly feeding anxiety, depression, and a lingering sense of dissatisfaction.

In India, whatever little emotional balance remains is perhaps sustained by our still-existing family and community bonds. Despite widespread social media usage, we continue—at least for now—to maintain a degree of real-world interaction that many Western societies have already lost. But the troubling reality is that the dominance of social media is steadily growing.

The report warns that urban India is gradually mirroring Western trends, particularly among the youth. It highlights that despite increasing digital connectivity, emotional isolation is rising rapidly—emerging as one of the most pressing challenges of modern society. Screen time is escalating, and endless, uncontrolled scrolling is becoming the norm. If this pattern continues, India too may drift into the same quagmire of unhappiness that many other nations are already grappling with.

In India, real relationships still hold more value than digital ones—but for how long? If we observe ourselves closely, how much do we actually talk to one another anymore? Everyone seems perpetually absorbed in their screens. Conversations fade quickly; words, ideas, and expressions seem to run dry after just a few lines. Even our blessings—once rich with meaning—have narrowed down to a simple, timeless phrase: “Stay happy.” Yet, the irony is that those who offer this blessing often spend their own lives chasing that very illusion of happiness—much like someone giving directions to a city they themselves have never seen.

Everyone seeks happiness. Yet, for most, it remains like a shadow—visible, but never graspable. We imagine that happiness will come once we pass an exam, secure a job, find love, win a lottery, recover from illness, have a child, or resolve conflicts. There are countless milestones we associate with happiness. But the moment one is achieved, happiness—like a restless spirit—moves on to another branch. It never settles. And perhaps the greatest irony is that we continue to chase it as if it were meant to be permanent.

What, then, is happiness? Is it the state in which the mind and heart are free of stress? Or the fleeting moment of intense joy? Or the satisfaction that follows an achievement? If that is the case, then is the relief of obtaining a much-needed gas cylinder a form of happiness? Or the feeling a nation experiences after launching missiles at another—can that too be called happiness? If so, then the line between happiness and irony is dangerously thin—so thin that it often becomes invisible.

The World Happiness Report suggests that what we once considered a means of staying connected is, paradoxically, distancing us—from ourselves and from others. We speak less to people and more to screens. We laugh less, yet appear to laugh more—through emojis. In India, a trace of warmth in relationships still survives. But how long will it last? Today, the silence in our homes is not due to a turned-off television, but because everyone is engrossed in their own personal screens.

Perhaps this is our greatest paradox. In our relentless pursuit of happiness, we have traveled so far that we have forgotten to notice the small, simple joys that once surrounded us.

(The author is a journalist.)