Minds, Mood, and Chatting Behaviors: A Critical Study on Male and Female University Students of Bangladesh

In the digital age, social interactions have transcended physical spaces, with chatting platforms becoming central to youth communication and emotional expression. This study critically investigates the relationship between psychological states—particularly mood and emotional fluctuations—and chatting behaviors among male and female university students in Bangladesh. Drawing from a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative surveys (n=600) with qualitative in-depth interviews (n=40), this research aims to understand how gender, mental states, and social media ecosystems shape digital interactional patterns.The findings reveal significant gender-based variances in the emotional content, frequency, and contextuality of online chatting. Female students were found to use chatting platforms more as emotional outlets, expressing affective states through emojis, expressive punctuation, and narrative sharing, while male students were more likely to engage in utilitarian or humor-driven communication, often masking vulnerable moods. Mood states such as anxiety, loneliness, and excitement were found to directly influence the volume and tone of chatting behavior, with both genders showing increased usage during stress periods (e.g., exams, relationship conflicts). Furthermore, the study uncovers how algorithmic affordances—like read receipts, typing indicators, and ‘last seen’ timestamps—intensify mood swings and digital anxiety, leading to cycles of anticipation, emotional dependence, and even avoidance behaviors.The research draws from theories of affective computing, symbolic interactionism, and digital ethnography to frame how chatting behaviors reflect internal emotional landscapes while also shaping them recursively. The study highlights the socio-psychological dimensions of everyday digital life in a rapidly evolving communication culture, with implications for mental health discourse, gender-sensitive digital literacy, and campus counseling initiatives. Ultimately, this paper advocates for an integrated model of mood-aware digital communication analysis to better understand the intertwined nature of mind, emotion, and mediated interactions among youth in South Asia and Bangladesh.