Associated Factors of Problematic Social Media Use, Cyberbullying, and Cybervictimization Among Adolescents: A...

Problematic social media use and peer bullying are increasingly leading to dangerous consequences among adolescents. This research aimed to determine the level of problematic social media use, the proportion of adolescents reporting at least one cyberbullying and cybervictimization behavior, and the factors associated with outcomes.

A cross-sectional design was employed with a sample of 1500 adolescents recruited from two high schools in Türkiye. Information was obtained through the Descriptive Information Form, the Social Media Addiction Scale for Adolescents, and the Revised Cyberbullying Inventory. Statistical analyses included independent-samples t-tests, Pearson's correlation analysis, and both linear and logistic regression models, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.

Adolescents had a mean problematic social media use score of 21.47 (SD = 7.45). Problematic social media use was positively associated with cyberbullying and cybervictimization. Higher problematic social media use scores were associated with female gender, lower family income and academic achievement, daily social media use exceeding 3 h, and cyberbullying behavior. Overall, 82.3% of adolescents reported at least one cyberbullying behavior, and 84.5% reported at least one cybervictimization experience. Cyberbullying behavior was significantly associated with gender (OR = 1.8), academic level (OR = 2.05), daily social media use (OR = 1.78), problematic social media use (OR = 1.11), and cybervictimization (OR = 12.27).

Problematic social media use, cyberbullying, and cybervictimization were common among adolescents and were significantly associated. Gender, academic achievement, daily social media use, and cybervictimization were commonly associated with one another. These findings may inform school-based and family-centered strategies to promote healthy social media use and prevent cyberbullying among adolescents.