Problematic use of mobile phone and social media among adolescents: relationship with cyberbullying, cybervictimisation, and social anxiety PDF Free Download
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Problematic use of mobile phone and social media
among adolescents: relationship with cyberbullying,
cybervictimisation, and social anxiety
Laura Guisot
University of Alicante
David Aparisi
University of Alicante
Beatriz Delgado
University of Alicante
María Carmen Martínez-Monteagudo
University of Alicante
Article
Keywords: Mobile phone, social media, cyberbullying, social anxiety, adolescents
Posted Date: October 27th, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7592472/v1
License: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Read Full License
Additional Declarations: No competing interests reported.
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Abstract
The use of mobile phone and social media has become a global and unstoppable phenomenon,
especially among adolescents, largely due to the ease of access to numerous applications that facilitate
communication and social interaction via the Internet. This study examines the relationship between
problematic mobile phone and social media use, cyberbullying, and social anxiety in a representative
sample of secondary school adolescents. A total of 1164 students with an age range of 12 to 18 years
(
M
= 14.56;
SD
= 1.4) completed a battery of self-report measures to assess problematic mobile phone
and social media use and social anxiety. The results indicate that students with high problematic use of
mobile phone and social media have signicantly higher levels of cyberbullying and social anxiety
compared to those with low and medium problematic use. Furthermore, logistic regression analyses
showed that cyberbullying, cybervictimisation and social anxiety, specically, fear of negative evaluation
were signicant predictors of problematic mobile phone and social media use, indicating a higher
probability of dependence as levels of cybervictimisation and social anxiety increase. The results
suggest the need to implement interventions aimed at improving emotional management and reducing
problematic behaviours related to technology use.
Introduction
The use of mobile phone and social media has become a global phenomenon, largely due to the ease of
access to numerous applications that facilitate communication via the internet and increase
interpersonal connections (Näher et al., 2023). Their benets are numerous and valuable, although these
digital tools have addictive potential due to their design and characteristics (Zhong et al., 2022). In this
regard, a large number of studies have identied a growing problematic use of these devices among
adolescents, as well as an increase in conicts with parents, emotional problems and digital hygiene
issues (Nawaz and Ahmad, 2012; Pearson et al, 2021). Adolescents spend an average of four hours on
their mobile phones, with video games and social media being the most common activities (Marciano
and Camerini, 2022). Recent studies conrm that problematic use of mobile phones and social media is
linked to changes in impulse control and greater diculty in stopping their use, characteristics typical of
addiction (Zhang et al., 2023). To counteract the negative effects, it is necessary to cultivate self-control
in young people (Deng et al. 2021; Hu et al, 2022; Wang et al., 2022a), good usage habits (Ong et al.,
2022), and improved emotional management (Nagata et al., 2023).
This study seeks to explore the problematic use of mobile phone and social media among adolescent
students and analyse its relationship with cyberbullying and social anxiety. This is because the use of
technology found in mobile phones can impact the mental health, development and well-being of minors
(Świątek et al., 2023). Furthermore, it has been observed that problematic use of social media is closely
linked to the search for social validation and emotional dissatisfaction, which can exacerbate problems
such as isolation and emotional dependence in adolescents (Worsley et al., 2022).
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Problematic use of mobile phone and social media
The conceptualisation of problematic mobile phone use still lacks specic diagnostic criteria in the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR, APA, 2022). This is because, to date, it
has not been included as a separate category. Instead, studies such as that by Jo et al. (2020) have used
diagnostic criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) to assess patterns of problematic mobile phone
and internet use. This trend is observable in other research focusing on IGD, while problematic mobile
phone or social media use still lacks a formal diagnostic denition (Darvesh et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2022).
This approach reects a growing need to differentiate between various forms of problematic technology-
related behaviour, including mobile phone use, social media use, and online gaming. Problematic mobile
phone use is characterised by diculty controlling its use, which negatively affects daily activities and
emotional well-being (Liu et al., 2022). Social anxiety plays an important role in this behaviour, as many
adolescents turn to their mobile phones to avoid social interactions, which exacerbates their isolation
(Longobardi et al., 2020). In terms of social media, the constant search for validation is linked to greater
emotional dissatisfaction and dependence on virtual interactions (Worsley et al., 2022). These patterns
of use affect not only mental health, but also interpersonal relationships and academic performance (Liu
et al., 2022). Given the prevalence of these behaviours, further research is needed to develop diagnostic
criteria that address both problematic mobile phone and social media use (Longobardi et al., 2020).
Currently, there is a high prevalence of problematic mobile phone use among adolescents, ranging from
10% to 38.5% (Gao et al., 2020; Sohn et al., 2019). Specically, in Spain, the prevalence of inappropriate
or problematic mobile phone use is 15.4% (De-Sola et al, 2019). This study obtains results similar to
those discussed in the scientic articles by Romero-Rodríguez et al. (2022)d pez-Fernández (2017) with
13.54% and 12.5%, respectively. Focusing on the adolescent population, studies show variations in the
prevalence of problematic mobile phone use. In Nepal, the prevalence among adolescents was 21.7%
(Thapa et al., 2020). In India, problematic mobile phone use among adolescents reached 21% (Bhatt et
al., 2017). In China, the study reported a prevalence of 27.92% among adolescents (Yuchang et al.,
2017).
Problematic mobile phone use manifests differently according to gender, age, and country (Li et al.,
2022b). In terms of gender, women tend to have more problems with mobile phone use and more
dependency-related behaviours (Marín et al., 2022). Women report more diculties with mobile phone
use, as they spend a signicant amount of time on their phones, which leads to higher phone bills, while
men are signicantly more likely to use social media passively (Oviedo-Trespalacios, 2019; Stieger and
Wunderl, 2022). However, these ndings are not conclusive, as other studies conclude that men are more
likely to exhibit this problematic use (Li et al, 2022b). Similarly, research conducted by Vally and El
Hichami (2019) revealed that in a sample of adolescents, the age group with the highest percentage of
problematic mobile phone use was the youngest, with a prevalence of approximately 80%. As for the
negative repercussions of problematic mobile phone and social media use, both prolonged and
excessive use of mobile phones can lead to symptoms such as anxiety, behavioural and emotional
problems, behavioural addiction, poorer sleep quality, bad moods and low psychological well-being
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(Kliesener et al., 2022). In relation to this, research carried out by Tomczyk and Lizde (2022) found that
one-third of those surveyed had nomophobia and one-tenth had high levels of phubbing, a term that
describes the act of ignoring people present in a social interaction by paying more attention to one's
mobile phone. In fact, adolescents feel compelled to check their mobile phones to keep up to date, and
this in turn is linked to anxiety and depression, as there is also a signicant relationship between fear of
missing out (FoMO) and problematic use of mobile phones and social media (Sun et al., 2022).
Problematic use of mobile phone, social media, and
cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is considered intentional and repetitive harassment perpetrated by a person or group and
carried out through digital devices such as mobile phones (Selwyn and Aagaard, 2021). This
phenomenon is most prevalent among adolescents and young adults, who tend to be the main users of
mobile devices and social media. In particular, people who use mobile phones and social media
problematically are more vulnerable, as both phenomena share a digital platform. Thus, greater use of
digital media translates into more risks encountered and less participation in constructive socialisation,
which can lead to aggressive and inappropriate behaviour (Blinka et al., 2023). Furthermore, problematic
mobile phone use is positively associated with participation in cyberbullying, increasing the rates of
perpetration of this behaviour and causing negative emotional states (Shin and Kim, 2022). In this
regard, a study conducted with adolescents found that emotional regulation problems and psychiatric
symptoms were risk factors for problematic mobile phone use and cyberbullying (Gül et al., 2019). These
data are also corroborated by the research of Peláez-Fernández et al. (2021), who identify that
cybervictimisation can drive problematic mobile phone use as a strategy to reduce the negative feelings
resulting from cyberbullying. This relationship can be explained by the fact that adolescents, when
experiencing negative emotions as a result of online bullying, tend to use mobile phones and social
media excessively as a form of escape or emotional regulation, which in turn increases their dependence
on these devices (Li et al., 2022a; Longobardi et al., 2020). Thus, recent research also highlights the role
of psychological insecurity and lack of family support as key factors in perpetuating this cycle of
victimisation and problematic social media use (Gao et al., 2020). Furthermore, social anxiety has been
identied as a determining factor in the relationship between problematic social media use and
cyberbullying. Studies have shown that adolescents with higher levels of social anxiety are more likely to
develop a dependence on social media, using these platforms as a refuge from face-to-face social
interactions (Liu et al., 2022). This behaviour can make them more vulnerable to cyberbullying and, as a
result, intensify their problematic use of these platforms as a way of coping with the negative emotions
that arise from these experiences. For example, research by Tomczyk and Lizde (2022) found that social
anxiety and the need for constant validation on social media were highly correlated with fear of missing
out (FoMO), which, in turn, increased mobile phone dependence and exposure to cyberbullying.
On the other hand, it has been observed that age and gender differences also inuence the dynamics of
problematic mobile phone use and cyberbullying. Adolescent girls tend to have more problems related to
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excessive use of social media, which makes them more susceptible to cybervictimisation. This could be
due, in part, to the fact that young women are more likely to seek emotional validation and social
acceptance on digital platforms, which increases their exposure to cyberbullying (Marín et al., 2022;
Stieger and Wunderl, 2022). On the other hand, men tend to be more involved in passive behaviours on
social media, which could explain the weaker relationship between their problematic use and online
victimisation (Li et al., 2022b; Oviedo-Trespalacios, 2019). In conclusion, all the articles discussed agree
on a link between problematic mobile phone use and cyberbullying. To combat inappropriate use of
mobile phones and social media, as well as cyberbullying, many specialists suggest banning mobile
phones in classrooms in order to minimise adolescents' exposure to these risks during school hours and
encourage healthier use of devices outside the school environment (Selwyn and Aagaard, 2021). This
measure could help reduce the amount of time adolescents spend on their mobile phones and social
media, thereby reducing their exposure to victimisation and improving their overall psychological well-
being.
Problematic use of mobile phone, social media, and social anxiety
Social anxiety is dened as the fear of negative social scrutiny and evaluation, characterised by tension
and nervousness in social settings (Annoni et al., 2021). According to the revised version of the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR) of the American Psychiatric
Association (APA, 2022), social anxiety disorder is characterised by an intense and persistent fear of
situations in which the person may be evaluated by others. People with this disorder fear acting in ways
that will be negatively judged, which can lead to signicant avoidance of social situations or facing them
with great distress.
Numerous studies have identied a signicant relationship between problematic mobile phone and
social media use and social anxiety in adolescents. This relationship may be mediated by factors such
as cybervictimisation, psychological insecurity, and unregulated social media use (Li et al., 2022b).
Thus, Kong et al. (2022) found in a sample of 14- and 17-year-old students, using the Questionnaire for
Adolescent Problematic Mobile phone Use (Tao et al., 2013) and the Social Anxiety Scale for
Adolescents (Aritzeta et al., 2017), that social anxiety affects dependence on mobile phones and social
networks, as people with social anxiety feel more protected and in a relatively safe environment when
interacting via mobile phone. Przepiorka et al. (2021) also found a positive relationship between social
anxiety and problematic mobile phone use in a sample of students aged 10 to 14 using The Mobile
phone Addiction Scale (Kwon et al., 2013) and The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Children and
Adolescents (LSAS-CA-SR) (Shachar et al., 2014). It follows that communication via mobile phones
allows adolescents with social anxiety to compensate for their lower social skills (Kim et al., 2019). A
recent meta-analysis of these variables supported a signicant positive correlation between social
anxiety and mobile phone addiction, suggesting that social anxiety is a predictor of the development of
mobile phone addiction in adolescents and adults (Ran et al., 2022). In summary, empirical evidence
shows that mobile phones and social media allow socially anxious individuals to nd a safe place
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through which they can communicate and, therefore, a way to avoid oine social situations through
problematic use of the same (Annoni et al., 2021; Lee et al., 2019).
The present Study
There is not much research analysing the relationship between problematic mobile phone and social
media use and its relationship with cyberbullying, cybervictimisation and social anxiety, and most
studies used different population samples. Therefore, taking into account the limitations of previous
studies, the research objectives of this study are to analyse the differences in cyberbullying,
cybervictimisation and social anxiety between adolescents with a problematic mobile phone use and
problematic social media use, to determine its impact on adolescents. Based on the objectives
described above, the following hypotheses are proposed: on the one hand, differences are expected to
be found in the variables of cyberbullying, cybervictimisation and social anxiety between students with
different degrees of problematic mobile phone and social media use, with students with more
problematic use obtaining signicantly higher scores in cyberbullying, cybervictimisation, and social
anxiety (hypothesis 1); on the other hand, cyberbullying, cybervictimisation and social anxiety will be
signicant predictors of both problematic mobile phone use and social media use (hypothesis 2). The
study justies the need to investigate these variables due to the negative repercussions associated with
problematic use of both social media and mobile phones in adolescence. These problematic behaviours
are linked to symptoms such as anxiety, behavioural and emotional problems, addiction, impaired sleep
quality, general malaise and low psychological well-being (Luengo-González et al., 2023). Furthermore,
excessive use of these devices can intensify the experience of cyberbullying and exacerbate social
anxiety, creating a harmful cycle that profoundly affects the emotional and social development of
adolescents (Annoni et al., 2021; Wang et al., 2022b). In this context, understanding how cyberbullying
and social anxiety inuence problematic mobile phone and social media use is crucial to addressing and
mitigating these adverse effects.
Method
Participants
The reference population included students of Secondary Education from the province of Alicante
(Spain). The initial sample consisted of 1210 students from Year 7 to Year 13, randomly selected from
six secondary schools, specically ve public and one private, with around 200 students per school. Of
this total, 46 (3.8%) were excluded due to omissions or errors in their responses. Thus, the nal sample
consisted of 1164 students (599 females (52%) and 565 males (48%)) aged between 12 and 18 (M =
14.56; SD = 1.4), with 130 (11.2%) aged between 12 and 13, 301 (25.9%) aged 13 to 14, 333 (28.6%) aged
14 to 15, 250 (21.5%) aged 15 to 16, and 150 (12.9%) aged 16 to 18. The Chi-square test of homogeneity
of frequency distribution revealed that there were no statistically signicant differences between the ten
groups of gender x year (
χ
² = 9.7;
p
= .28).
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Instruments
To assess problematic mobile phone use, the Problematic Mobile phone Use Scale from the
Problematic
Use of New Technologies Questionnaire
(Delgado et al., 2021) was used. The scale consists of 10 items
that assess the frequency and intensity of problematic mobile phone use and measure associated
symptoms, such as recurrent thoughts of being connected (e.g., ‘Are you thinking about using your
mobile phone hours before you actually use it?’), feelings of irritability or withdrawal (e.g., ‘Do you feel
nervous if it has been a long time since you last used your mobile phone?’ ‘), inattention to educational,
family or social activities (e.g. ’Do you continue to use your mobile phone even though this causes
problems with others, in your studies, with your family...?"), social isolation, among others, using a 5-
point Likert scale: 1 (never) to 5 (always). The subscale obtained an adequate reliability index (
α
= .87)
for the sample analysed.
Problematic social media use was assessed using the
Problematic Social Media Use Questionnaire
(Delgado et al., 2023), which consists of 13 items that measure the intensity of social media use.
Respondents answered using a Likert scale with ve response options (1 = never; 5 = always) (e.g. ‘Do
you think in advance about when you will be able to connect to social media?’ or ‘Has the time you spend
using social media affected your performance (grades) or your motivation to study?’). The questionnaire
allows for the identication of the frequency of the main behaviours associated with problematic social
media use, such as dependence, interference with daily activities, discomfort, and lack of control. The
reliability index of the test in this study was adequate (
α
= .86).
Social anxiety was assessed using the
Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents
(SAS-A; Olivares et al.,
2005), a self-report measure that assesses social fears and concerns and avoidance in social situations
in adolescents. It consists of 18 items that measure social anxiety and 4 ller items. The SAS-A includes
three subscales: Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE) consists of 8 items that assess fears, concerns, or
worries regarding peers' negative evaluations (e.g., ‘I worry about what others say about me’); Social
Avoidance and Distress in New Situations (SAD-N) consists of 6 items that assess social avoidance and
distress in new social situations or with unfamiliar peers (e.g., ‘I get nervous when I talk to peers I do not
know very well’); and Social Avoidance and Distress-General (SAD-G) consists of 4 items that assess
general social inhibition, distress, and discomfort (e.g., “I am quiet when I am with a group of people”).
Items from each subscale are summed such that higher scores reect greater social anxiety. Reliability
indices (α) were adequate for the FNE (.93), SAD-N (.88) and SAD-G (.81) subscales, and the overall SAS-
A score (.93).
Finally, the Garaigordobil
Peer Bullying Screening
(2016) was used to assess cyberbullying. This is a self-
report that assesses both face-to-face bullying (Bullying subscale) and electronic bullying (Cyberbullying
subscale). In the present study, we only used the Cyberbullying subscale: 15 items of cyberbullying and
15 items of cybervictimization. This assesses 15 electronic bullying behaviors (e.g., sending offensive
and insulting messages, making offensive calls, disseminating photos or videos on YouTube, making
frightening anonymous calls, blackmailing or threatening someone) to identify victims and bullies in the
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past year. The questionnaire is answered using a Likert scale with four response options (1 = never; 4 =
always). The psychometric studies carried out by the original authors conrm the adequate internal
consistency of the test (α = . 91). The reliability indices of the subscales of the cyberbullying
questionnaire in the study sample were good: cybervictimization (
α
= .87), and cyberbullying (
α
= .89).
Procedure
After obtaining approval for collaboration from the management and guidance departments of the
educational centres, as well as the informed consent of the families of the participating students, the
questionnaires were answered collectively and anonymously by the students in the computer room using
an online form. The researchers were present during the administration of the tests to clarify any doubts
and verify that the students completed the questionnaires independently and voluntarily. The average
response time for the tests was 20 minutes. The study, including the consent methods used, received
approval from the Research Ethics Committee (UA-2023-02-07). In addition, all regulations concerning
research involving human subjects were observed, in accordance with the ethical principles set forth in
the Declaration of Helsinki.
Statistical analysis
First, the sample was grouped according to problematic mobile phone/social media use scores into: (1)
low problematic use (scores equal to or below the 25 percentile), (2) medium problematic use, and (3)
high problematic use (scores equal to or above the 75 percentile). Secondly, to analyse the differences in
cyberbullying, cybervictimisation and social anxiety between the three groups, an analysis of variance
(ANOVA) and Bonferroni post hoc test were performed to identify between which groups these
differences existed. In addition, the effect size was calculated using Cohen's
d
(1988). Regarding the
interpretation of the effect size, values less than or equal to 0.20 indicate a very small or insignicant
effect size, those between 0.20 and 0.49 are considered small, those between 0.50 and 0.79 are
moderate, and those above 0.80 are considered large.
Finally, to evaluate the explanation of cyberbullying and social anxiety on problematic social media and
mobile phone use, a stepwise forward logistic regression analysis based on the Wald method was
performed. To estimate the t of each model, the percentage of correctly matched cases was calculated,
as well as Nagelkerke's
R
2. The probability of an event occurring was quantied using the odds ratio
(
OR
). Thus,
OR
values greater than 1 establish that the probability of an event (e.g., problematic use of
mobile phones/social media) is greater than that of no event, and values from 0 to 0.99 indicate that the
possibility of an event is lower than the probability of no event. SPSS 23.0 (IBM Corporation) was used
for ANOVA and logistic regression analysis.
Results
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Differences in cyberbullying and social anxiety in students with low, medium, and high problematic
mobile phone use
The results obtained indicate that there are statistically signicant differences in cyberbullying and
social anxiety scores between the different groups of problematic mobile phone use (see Table1). Post
hoc tests indicate that students with high problematic mobile phone use obtain signicantly higher
scores in cybervictimisation than the low (
t
= 2.39,
p
= .001) and medium problematic mobile phone use
groups (
t
= 1.78,
p
= .001).
Table 1
Differences in cyberbullying, cybervictimisation and social anxiety traits among students with low,
medium, and high problematic mobile phone use
Low PUSP Medium PUSP High PUSP Statistical signicance
M (SD) M (SD) M (SD) F p
Cyberbullying 16.67
(2.68) 17.31 (2.88) 18.65
(5.00) 30.17 .001
Cybervictimisation 17.52
(3.67) 18.12 (3.53) 19.91
(5.22) 34.60 .001
Social Anxiety
FNE 14.95
(5.50) 17.11 (5.25) 18.70
(5.30) 45.08 .001
SAD-N 12.73
(5.16) 14.22 (4.94) 15.43
(5.37) 25.38 .001
SAD-G 7.82 (4.87) 9.87 (4.61) 11.50
(4.88) 54.59 .001
Note
. PUSM: Problematic Use of Mobile phone; FNE: Fear of Negative Evaluation; SAD-N: Social
Anxiety and Distress-New; SAD-G: Social Anxiety and Distress-General; M: Mean; SD: Standard
Deviation.
On the other hand, students with high problematic mobile phone use score signicantly higher on
cyberbullying than students with medium (
t
= 1.34,
p
= .001) and low (
t
= 1.98,
p
= .001) problematic
mobile phone use. In fact, students with medium problematic mobile phone use had signicantly higher
scores for cyberbullying (
t
= .64,
p
= .02) than those with low problematic mobile phone use. Effect sizes
were moderate for differences in cybervictimisation (
d
= .51-.55) and small for differences in
cyberbullying (
d
= 0.35-.49).
(Insert Table1 here)
In addition, students with high problematic mobile phone use score signicantly higher on the scale of
fear of negative evaluation, social avoidance and discomfort in new situations, and social avoidance and
discomfort in social situations in general than students with average problematic mobile phone use
Page 10/21
(FNE:
t
= 1.58,
p
= .001; SAD-N:
t
= 1.21,
p
= .01; SAD-G:
t
= 1.63,
p
= .001) and low (FNE:
t
= 3.75,
p
= .001;
SAD-N:
t
= 2.70,
p
= 0.001; SAD-G:
t
= 2.04,
p
= .001). Additionally, students with moderate problematic
mobile phone use have signicantly higher scores in social anxiety in all its manifestations (FNE:
t
= 2.16,
p
= .001; SAD-N:
t
= 1.50,
p
= .001; SAD-G:
t
= 3.35,
p
= .001) than those with low problematic mobile
phone use (see Table2). The effect sizes for differences in social anxiety were moderate between the
high and low problematic mobile phone use groups (
d
= 0.51–0.75) and small between the medium
group and the rest of the groups analysed (
d
= 0.23–0.43).
Table 2
Differences in cyberbullying, cybervictimisation, and social anxiety among students with low, medium,
and high problematic social media use
Low PUSM Medium PUSM High PUSM Statistical signicance
M (SD) M (SD) M (SD) F p
Cyberbullying 15.47
(3.22) 15.63 (1.38) 17.00
(4.32) 25.79 .001
Cybervictimisation 16.26
(2.61) 17.02 (3.26) 19.60
(6.53) 44.93 .001
Social Anxiety
FNE 14.27
(7.50) 17.68 (8.04) 22.39
(8.60) 27.40 .001
SAD-N 11.59
(5.30) 13.12 (5.15) 16.40
(5.92) 23.38 .001
SAD-G 6.32 (3.11) 6.90 (3.17) 8.69 (3.65) 16.33 .001
Note
. PUSM: Problematic Use of Social Media; FNE: Fear of Negative Evaluation; SAD-N: Social
Anxiety and Distress-New; SAD-G: Social Anxiety and Distress-General; M: Mean; SD: Standard
Deviation.
Differences in cyberbullying, cybervictimisation and social anxiety among students with low, medium,
and high problematic social media use
The results of the variance analyses indicate that there are statistically signicant differences in
cyberbullying and social anxiety scores between groups (see Table2). Specically, post-hoc tests
detected that students with high scores in problematic social media use had signicantly higher scores
in cyberbullying and cybervictimisation than groups with low scores (
t
= 1.53,
p
= .001, ;
t
= 3.35,
p
= .001)
and average scores on problematic social media use (t = 1.37, p = .001; t = 2.57, p = .001). Effect sizes
were moderate in all cases (
d
> 0.51).
In addition, students with high scores on problematic social media use obtained signicantly higher
scores than students with average and low scores on the fear of negative evaluation (
t
= 4.71,
p
= .001 ;
t
= 8.12,
p
= .001) and social avoidance and discomfort in new situations (SAD-N) scales (
t
= 3.28,
p
= .001;
Page 11/21
t
= 4.81,
p
= .001). In fact, students with moderate problematic use scored signicantly higher than those
with low problematic use (
t
= 3.41,
p
= .01;
t
= 3.35,
p
= .001) on the SAD-N subscale.
On the other hand, adolescents with high problematic social media use exhibit signicantly more social
avoidance and discomfort in situations in general than students with medium (
t
= 1.78,
p
= .001) and low
(
t
= 2.36,
p
= .001) problematic use. All effect sizes for differences in social anxiety were moderate (
d
>
0.54).
(Insert Table2 here)
Predicting problematic mobile phone use through
cyberbullying, cybervictimisation and social anxiety
Logistic regression analyses yielded ve explanatory models for problematic mobile phone use based on
the scores of the predictor variables analysed (see Table3). Thus, one model was created using
cyberbullying scores and another using cybervictimisation scores, with 62.3% (
χ
² = 51.34;
p
= .001) and
63% (
χ
² = 54.87;
p
= .001) of cases correctly classied by the models. The goodness of t (Nalgerkerke's
R
²) was .09 and .10, respectively. The
OR
indicate that adolescents are 19% and 16% more likely to
exhibit high problematic mobile phone use as their cyberbullying and cybervictimisation scores increase
by one unit, respectively.
Table 3
Probability of problematic mobile phone use through cyberbullying, cybervictimisation, and social anxiety
Predictor variable B S.E. Wald
p OR
C.I. 95%
Cyberbullying .18 .03 33.67 .001 1.19 1.12–1.27
Constant -2.39 .41 34.35 .001 0.09
Cybervictimisation .14 .02 40.76 .001 1.16 1.11–1.21
Constant -2.11 .33 40.81 .001 0.21
FNE .12 .01 71.27 .001 1.13 1.10–1.17
Constant -2.12 .26 65.97 .001 0.12
SAD-N .10 .01 42.66 .001 1.10 1.07–1.13
Constant -1.37 .22 38.64 .001 0.25
SAD-G .15 .02 81.53 .001 1.16 1.13–1.20
Constant -2.38 .27 75.69 .001 0.09
Note
. FNE: Fear of Negative Evaluation; SAD-N: Social Anxiety and Distress-New; SAD-G: Social
Anxiety and Distress-General; CI: Condence Interval; OR: Odds Ratio.
Page 12/21
Social anxiety symptoms also signicantly explain problematic mobile phone use. The model based on
fear of negative evaluation (
χ
² = 81.07;
p
= .001) correctly classied 64.8% of cases, the model based on
social avoidance and discomfort in new situations classied 60.7% (
χ
² = 45.87;
p
= .001), and the model
of social avoidance and discomfort in social situations in general classied 65.9% (
χ
² = 95.15;
p
= .001)
of cases correctly. The Nalgerkerke
R
² t indices for the models were .14, .08, and .16, respectively. The
OR
indicate that students are 13%, 10%, and 16% more likely to maintain problematic mobile phone use
as the FNE, SAD-N, and SAD-G social anxiety subscales increase by one unit, respectively.
(Insert Table3 here)
Predicting problematic social media use through
cyberbullying, cybervictimisation, and social anxiety
Based on the logistic regression analyses, it was possible to create ve explanatory models of
problematic social media use based on cyberbullying and social anxiety (see Table4). Thus, a model
was also obtained to predict the probability of problematic social media use through cyberbullying (see
Table4), with 65.9% (
χ
²=32.14;
p
= .00) of cases correctly classied, and a Nalgerkerke's
R
² of .08. The
OR
indicates that the probability of high problematic social media use in adolescents is 1.27 times
higher for each unit increase in cyberbullying. Likewise, a predictive model of problematic social media
use through cybervictimisation was created, with 66.5% (
χ
²=70.93;
p
= .001) of cases correctly classied.
The goodness of t (Nalgerkerke's
R
²) was .16. The
OR
indicates that the probability of high problematic
social media use is 1.25 times greater as cybervictimisation increases by one unit.
Page 13/21
Table 4
Probability of problematic social media use through cyberbullying, cybervictimisation and social anxiety
Predictor variable B S.E. Wald
p OR
C.I. 95%
Cyberbullying .24 .06 15.55 .001 1.27 1.13–1.44
Constant − .22 .09 5.18 .023 .80
Cybervictimisation .22 .03 40.25 .001 1.25 1.17–1.34
Constant − .52 .11 22.02 .001 .59
FNE .12 .02 37.76 .001 1.12 1.08–1.17
Constant -2.18 .36 36.74 .001 .11
SAD-N .15 .03 31.22 .001 1.16 1.10–1.22
Constant -2.17 .39 30.59 .001 .11
SAD-G .22 .05 22.48 .001 1.25 1.14–1.37
Constant − .1.71 .36 22.53 .001 .18
Note. FNE: Fear of Negative Evaluation; SAD-N: Social Anxiety and Distress-New; SAD-G: Social
Anxiety and Distress-General; CI: Condence Interval; OR: Odds Ratio.
With regard to social anxiety, three explanatory models were created for problematic social media use
based on scores for fear of negative evaluation (
χ
²=49.06;
p
= .001), social avoidance and discomfort in
new situations (
χ
²=38.66;
p
= .001), and social avoidance and general discomfort (
χ
²=27.99;
p
= .001),
with 70%, 70%, and 67.5% of cases classied correctly, respectively. Nalgerkerke's
R
² indicators were
adequate for the models: .25, .20, and .15. The
OR
indicate that the probability of high problematic social
media use increases by 1.12 as the fear of negative evaluation score increases by one unit, by 1.16 as
social avoidance and discomfort in new social situations increases by one unit, and by 1.25 as social
avoidance and discomfort in social situations in general increases by one unit.
(Insert Table4 here)
Discussion
The results of this study establish a clear relationship between problematic mobile phone and social
media use and cyberbullying and social anxiety in adolescents, conrming the proposed hypotheses.
The rst hypothesis suggested that students with higher problematic use of social media and mobile
phones would score signicantly higher on cyberbullying, cybervictimisation, and social anxiety, which
was veried through the analyses. These results are consistent with previous research highlighting the
role of technology in the development of problematic behaviours among young people. Studies such as
that by Worsley et al. (2022) suggest that excessive use of social media exacerbates the search for
emotional validation, which in turn contributes to a cycle of dependence and unregulated use, which can
Page 14/21
lead to behaviours such as cyberbullying. This coincides with the ndings of this research, where
students with more problematic social media use scored higher on cyberaggression and
cybervictimisation, which could be associated with lower self-control and increased impulsivity (Deng et
al., 2021).
On the other hand, in relation to social anxiety, it was found that adolescents with high levels of
problematic mobile phone and social media use also scored higher on fear of negative evaluation and
social avoidance, which reinforces the ndings of studies such as that by Longobardi et al. (2020), who
stated that problematic mobile phone use is mediated by social anxiety. These results underscore the
idea that the use of technology offers a space perceived as safe for adolescents who experience
diculties in face-to-face interactions, serving as a way to avoid direct social contact and exacerbating
their technological dependence.
Furthermore, the relationship between problematic mobile phone and social media use and cyberbullying
and cybervictimisation, as proposed in hypothesis 2, was supported by logistic regression analyses.
Adolescents who reported being victims of cyberbullying showed a greater tendency towards
problematic use of their devices, which coincides with the ndings of Gül et al. (2019), who identied
cybervictimisation as a factor that drives the use of mobile phones and social media as a mechanism for
coping with the emotional distress caused by bullying. This phenomenon is also addressed by Li et al.
(2022a), who argue that excessive use of mobile phones and social media can contribute to
perpetuating online aggression, creating a cycle of dependency and cyberbullying.
The results also conrmed that social anxiety is a signicant predictor of problematic mobile phone and
social media use. Previous studies such as that by Ran et al. (2022) support this claim, showing that
social anxiety has a signicant positive correlation with problematic mobile phone use, suggesting that
socially anxious adolescents turn to technology to avoid face-to-face interactions, increasing their
dependence on these devices. This behaviour is particularly relevant in adolescence, a critical stage for
the development of social skills, where problematic use of technologies can interfere with adolescents'
social and emotional development.
Therefore, this study provides new evidence on the relationship between problematic mobile phone and
social media use, cyberbullying, and social anxiety in adolescents, expanding current knowledge in these
areas. It is important to note that adolescents with more problematic use of these technologies also
reported greater diculties in emotional regulation, reinforcing the need to implement intervention
programmes that promote self-control and appropriate management of emotions in this population, as
suggested by Hu et al. (2022).
Limitations and Practical Implications
Despite the signicant contribution of these ndings, the study has some limitations. One of them is the
lack of a longitudinal assessment that would allow us to observe the development of these behaviours
over time, which would be necessary to better understand the underlying dynamics of problematic
Page 15/21
mobile phone and social media use. Furthermore, the study did not explore gender differences in depth,
beyond pointing out general differences, so future research could analyse in greater detail how these
variables interact according to gender and other sociodemographic characteristics. It would also be
valuable to extend the study to other populations beyond the geographical and school setting of the
sample, as the results may vary in different cultural or educational contexts.
Finally, this study suggests that interventions should focus on developing digital and emotional skills in
adolescents, promoting healthy use of technology and addressing the root causes of social anxiety and
cyberbullying. Educational policies that limit the use of mobile devices in school settings could also
contribute to reducing these problematic behaviours, as proposed by Selwyn and Aagaard (2021). It
would also be relevant to involve families in these interventions, as emotional support at home has been
shown to be a key protective factor against problematic technology use (Gao et al., 2020).
Conclusions
The results of this study show that students with high scores in problematic mobile phone use obtained
signicantly higher scores in cyberbullying and cybervictimisation. In addition, students with high
problematic mobile phone use score signicantly higher on the scale of fear of negative evaluation,
social avoidance and discomfort in new situations, and social avoidance and discomfort in social
situations in general.
In the case of adolescents with high scores in problematic social media use had signicantly higher
scores in cyberbullying and cybervictimisation than groups with low scores. Also, students with high
scores on problematic social media use obtained signicantly higher scores than students with average
and low scores on the fear of negative evaluation and social avoidance and discomfort in new situations
scales. On the other hand, adolescents with high problematic social media use exhibit signicantly more
social avoidance and discomfort in situations in general. Logistic regression analyses showed that
cyberbullying, cybervictimization, and social anxiety are signicant predictors of problematic mobile
phone use and problematic social media use.
These results point to the need to take preventive measures against cyberbullying and
cybervictimization, which are closely related to the problematic use of new technologies. In addition,
intervening in psychological variables such as social anxiety may be key to preventing potentially
harmful situations for adolescents in the future, teaching them psychoeducational strategies that
promote the responsible use of both mobile phones and social media.
Declarations
Ethics approval and consent to participate:
Page 16/21
Standards regarding research on humans were respected, in accordance with the ethical principles of
the Declaration of Helsinki and the Ethics Committee (UA-2022-03-21).
Consent for publication:
The authors consent to the publication of the manuscript.
Competing interests:
Not applicable.
Funding:
This research was funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Agency and the European
Regional Development Fund (Project PID123118NA-100 funded by MCIN /AEI /10.13039/501100011033
/ FEDER, EU).
Author Contribution
DA and BD conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, and drafted the
manuscript; DA and BD performed a critical review of the manuscript and assisted with interpretation of
the ndings; BD assisted with the study conception and participated in the statistical analyses; LG and
MCMM participated in the design of the study, data interpretation, and assisted in drafting the
manuscript. All authors read and approved the nal manuscript.
Acknowledgements
Not applicable.
Data Availability
Data available if required.
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