Impact of Screen Time and Cyberbullying on Depression in

Adolescents

Shengyuan Huang

Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School, Shanghai, 200000, China

Keywords: Cyberbullying, Depression, Screen Time.

Abstract: Teenagers' increasing use of the internet has led to a number of problems, such as excessive screen time and

cyberbullying, which are both closely linked to psychlogical conditions. This study investigates the

connection between adolescent depression, screen time, and cyberbullying. Overuse of screens, especially

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), has been shown to have long-term reciprocal impacts on anxiety and

depressive symptoms. Age and gender disparities also affect how severe these consequences are, underscoring

the necessity of specialised therapies. Adolescents' mental health is severely impacted by cyberbullying,

which is defined by negative online conduct and can result in depression, loneliness, low self-esteem, and

even suicide thoughts. One protective component that has been found to lessen the detrimental impacts of

cyberbullying is social support, especially from parents. Reducing screen time, encouraging outdoor activities,

improving online moral literacy, and building stronger peer and family support networks are all important,

according to this study. To address these expanding problems and enhance adolescents' mental health, targeted

preventative and intervention techniques are crucial.

1 INTRODUCTION

With the popularity of the Internet, the issues of

adolescent mental health are becoming more

prevalent in society. This not only causes people

physical problems like obesity, poor eyesight and

rarefaction of bone, but also mental issues. Online

platforms and technological devices offer

connectivity and convenience, but excessive usage of

them has had unforeseen detrimental effects. These

issues highlight a growing societal concern: the

mental health crisis among adolescents exacerbated

by modern digital lifestyles. Overuse of screens has

been connected to both mental and physical health

problems, including obesity, blurred eyesight, and

sleep disruptions. Another consequence of digital

communication is cyberbullying, which has grown to

be a widespread problem that endangers the

wellbeing of adolescents. In contrast to traditional

bullying, cyberbullying persists, spreads harmful

content extensively, and penetrates private locations.

Emotional pain, loneliness, and low self-esteem are

common among victims of cyberbullying, and these

symptoms can worsen into depression, social

disengagement, and suicide thoughts. This article

aims to evaluate the relationship of screen time and

cyberbully in relationship to depression. This study is

essential for guiding educational initiatives and

public health policies meant to lessen the detrimental

impacts of excessive screen usage and cyberbullying

on mental health. By pinpointing the main causes of

adolescent depression, it provides a basis for

developing more potent preventative and support

plans that take into account the particular difficulties

presented by the digital age.

2 INTRODUCTION TO THE KEY

CONCEPTS

Screen time: Screen time is the amount of time spent

on electric devices with a screen involving

smartphone, computer, television, etc.

Cyberbully: Bullying using digital gadgets is

referred to as cyberbullying. Sending, publishing, or

disseminating hurtful, malicious, or deceptive content

about another person is considered cyberbullying. As

a result, victims could suffer from long time

psychological and physical issues like sleeping

disorder, depression or even suicide.

Depression: Depression is a mental state which

usually exhibits low mood and aversion to life. It

Huang, S.

Impact of Screen Time and Cyberbullying on Depression in Adolescents.

DOI: 10.5220/0014137300004942

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Applied Psychology and Marketing Management (APMM 2025), pages 507-510

ISBN: 978-989-758-791-7

507

influences about 280 million people, which is about

3.5% of the population in the world (Jeong et al.,

2019). Depression can alter a person's thoughts,

behavior and feelings. When it comes to individuals,

they could suffer from anorexia, feeling depressed

and insomia.

3 THE EFFECT OF SCREEN

TIME ON DEPRESSION IN

ADOLESCENTS

The sample size was 820 8 and 12 years students. This

is a 10-months cross sectional study. Conclusion:

There was a clear positive relationship between IGD,

and negative emotions... This is cross section. The

research design is cross-sectional pattern and is not

dynamic without long-term follow up (Rajan et al.,

2024).

399 primary school pupils participated in the

research. The cross-lagged analysis showed that

baseline depression predicted IGD severity at 12

months, and vice versa (Sarvan et al., 2025). The

follow-up time is too short though it is a longitudinal

study and it lack the ratio of gender. Gender

differences may lead to differences in the effect of

IGD on depression.

In another study, the participants are students

from grades 4–9 in Chinese primary and secondary

schools. The results reveal that gender and age

differences exist (Xie & Tang, 2024). Depression

scale and gaming addiction were shown to be

positively and statistically significantly correlated.

It is evident that some adolescents undergoing

cancer treatment exhibit high levels of digital gaming

addiction, depression, and anxiety. It has small

sample size and is not dynamic. It cannot reveal the

motion and not keep up with the changes (Hu et al.,

2021).

4 THE RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN CYBERBULLYING

AND DEPRESSION

With a total of more than 100,000 people and 74

effect sizes, this study examined 57 empirical studies

from 17 different nations (Han & Zhao, 2024). Meta

analysis shows that victimisation of cyberbullying

among adolescents was positively correlated with

depression. Another study revealed impact of

cyberbullying as well (Sun et al., 2025).

Additionally, the influence of avoidance coping

mechanisms on depression was stronger as face

consciousness rose, hence moderating the mediation.

In order to lessen the influence of cyberbullying

on depressive symptoms in this susceptible group, our

findings give important insights into how and when

cyberbullying impacts teenage depression. They may

also provide direction for preventative and

therapeutic efforts.

In the third study, results demonstrate a strong

inverse correlation between late-adolescent

cyberbullying behaviours and cyber moral literacy

(CML) (Reed et al., 2016).

(1) CML promoted cyberbullying; (2) moral

disengagement plays a partially mediating role the

relationship; (3) guilt plays a moderating role the

association between CML and cyberbullying.

Research has shown that enhancing one's online

moral literacy can successfully stop cyberbullying.

Furthermore, individual factors also affect the

efficiency of online literacy. Though other cognitive

and physiological elements might potentially be

involved, the impact of emotional factors is the main

focus of current research.

In the fourth study, the study included Chinese

and 445 American graders (Wright, 2024).

Both Chinese and American adolescents' self-

harm, depression, subjective health complaints, and

cyberbullying victimisation were found to be

negatively correlated with high levels of perceived

parental social support, with the effects being more

noticeable for Chinese adolescents. On the other hand,

American teenagers and their perceptions of friend

support showed the opposite trends. This study

emphasises how crucial it is to provide customised

interventions to lower the prevalence of

cyberbullying across various teenage populations.

More longitudinal methods should be used in

future studies to identify temporal patterns and

investigate the contributions of other factors

including socioeconomic status and peer and parent

attachment styles. Additional research should also be

conducted to find the connection between depression

and cyberbullying.

5 DISCUSSION AND

SUGGESTION

Cyberbullying can seriously affect the physical and

mental health of teenagers, from the beginning of

sadness, frustration, loneliness, pressure, gradually to

depression, self-esteem, helplessness, social anxiety

APMM 2025 - International Conference on Applied Psychology and Marketing Management

508

and other negative emotional experience. If allowed

to develop, bullied teenagers may also produce

suicidal ideation, suicidal behavior, resulting in

serious consequences. Cyberbullying was associated

with moderate to severe depressive symptoms,

substance use, ideation and suicide attempts.

There are overall four major influences of

depression in life. First, the damage of mental health.

Depressed patients often feel deep sadness, despair

and helplessness, continuous depression makes them

unable to enjoy life, seriously affecting their mental

health. Patients may have psychological symptoms

such as inferiority, self-blame, anxiety and panic, and

their mental health level is significantly reduced.

Second, it can create social barriers. People with

depression often show avoidance of social activities,

lack of interest in social participation, and feel lonely

and alienated from others. This social disorder not

only increases the patients' sense of loneliness and

loss, but also affects their normal communication and

interaction with others, and has a negative impact on

social relations. Third, depression has caused major

troubles to the work and study of patients. Patients

may have problems such as inattention, decision-

making difficulties, memory loss and work efficiency,

resulting in poor work performance and lagging

academic progress. Fourth, the quality of life will

decline inevitably. Depression seriously affects the

quality of life of patients, sustained painful emotions

and loss of interest in life, making it difficult for

patients to enjoy the good things in life, and feel

hopeless and hopeless, this decline in quality of life

will further increase their pain and deterioration of the

condition (Varghese & Pistole, 2017).

Overall conclusion of the current study is

adolescents are suffering from mental issue caused by

internet is a global problem. The negative effect on

mental health can lead to depression. Manifestations

of depression are insomnia, lose interest in social and

study and even suicide. Spending too much time on

the Internet is harmful, it can interfere with children's

sleeping, eating, socializing (Xue et al., 2023). This

could cause them to be self-closing and finally leads

to mental issues like depression and anxiety.

Cyberbullying may also be the one to blame. If

adolescents experienced cyberbullying, it may leave

them with psychological trauma, and they

might ’cannot relief for a long time. If meanwhile

they lack help and are isolated, they may become

sensitive, doubt themselves and unwilling to

communicate with others. Response measures are to

limit screen time, promote outdoor activities and

encourage them to communicate with their friends

and family members. In this way, it could enhance

children’s overall health. The Internet is not an outlaw

place. When surfing on the Internet, people should

think independently and not follow the trend.

Individuals should help the bullied and bring the

bullies to justice

It is crucial to take proactive steps to lessen the

impacts of screen time and online bullying on teenage

depression, given the rising concerns about these

issues. Teenagers are especially susceptible to the

detrimental effects of excessive screen usage and

cyberbullying, which have both been connected to an

increase in symptoms of depression. Here are some

recommendations, with a focus on evidence-based

therapy techniques, for reducing teen depression.

Overuse of screens, particularly social media, can

exacerbate anxiety, feelings of inadequacy, and

loneliness. Limiting screen time is crucial for parents

and other carers to avoid depression. Setting explicit

limits on screen time has been shown to enhance sleep

quality and encourage teenagers to participate in more

stimulating, healthy activities like sports, reading, and

face-to-face interaction. Children and teenagers

should not spend more than two hours a day using

screens for leisure, according to the American

Academy of Paediatrics. Promoting outdoor

recreation or pastimes can aid in lowering the dangers

of excessive screen use.

Promoting digital literacy is essential given the

prevalence of cyberbullying and its detrimental

impact on teenage mental health. Teens should be

taught how to use social media in a responsible

manner, how to protect themselves online, and how

to recognise the potential damage of online bullying.

Programs that teach teenagers about the warning

signs of cyberbullying, the value of self-care, and

how to report negative behaviour can be facilitated by

parents and schools. Teens may take charge of their

online experiences and steer clear of circumstances

that could cause them to feel depression if there is

open conversation about the dangers of online

interactions.

One of the best treatment approaches for treating

teenage depression is cognitive behavioural

therapy(CBT). It focusses on recognising and

combating harmful thinking patterns as well as

creating coping strategies to control feelings and

actions. CBT may help adolescents who are

experiencing depression as a result of excessive

screen usage or cyberbullying by addressing the

underlying cognitive biases that fuel their emotional

misery. Teenagers who use CBT can improve their

coping mechanisms, develop resilience, and reframe

their views.

Impact of Screen Time and Cyberbullying on Depression in Adolescents

509

6 CONCLUSION

According to the study's findings, adolescents' mental

health issues, such as anxiety and depression, are

greatly exacerbated by both inappropriate electronic

device use and cyberbullying. Overuse of screens is

linked to negative psychological and physical

consequences, including disturbed sleep cycles,

decreased physical activity, and heightened social

isolation, all of which worsen mental health

conditions. It has been discovered that Internet

Gaming Disorder (IGD), a particular type of

excessive screen time, has a strong correlation with

anxiety and depression. This suggests that the

severity of IGD and depressive symptoms are

correlated in both directions. Notably, age and gender

disparities affect IGD's impact and prevalence,

calling for focused intervention techniques.

Another significant factor that has a significant

effect on teenagers' mental health is cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying victims frequently suffer from

depression, social anxiety, loneliness, and low self-

esteem. These feelings can worsen into severe

depressive symptoms and even thoughts of suicide.

Research indicates a strong positive correlation

between depression and being a victim of

cyberbullying, with coping mechanisms and face

consciousness acting as moderators. Teenagers who

have little social support—especially from family—

are more susceptible to the harmful impacts of

cyberbullying, which emphasises how important

parental participation is in reducing its effects. To

address these problems, preventative and intervention

strategies are crucial. Teenagers' mental health can be

enhanced by methods to cut back on excessive screen

time, such as encouraging outside activities and

restricting access to electronic devices. Improving

online moral literacy, cultivating empathy, and

offering sufficient social support from peers and

parents are all helpful strategies for combating

cyberbullying. Awareness campaigns that inform

teenagers about the dangers of cyberbullying and the

significance of getting assistance should be put in

place by communities and schools. Furthermore,

treatments that are specifically designed to meet the

requirements of various groups—taking into account

factors like gender, age, and cultural differences—

can be as effective as possible.

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