Investigating the Effects of Cyberbullying on Mental Health Among Pakistani Adolescents
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55737/trt/v-i.221Keywords:
Cyberbullying, Mental Health, Adolescents, Social Media, Self-esteem, Psychological DistressAbstract
The research areas explored in this study are the impact of cyberbullying on mental health in Pakistani adolescents, anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. Due to the high growth in the use of social media, cyberbullying has become a major psychological issue especially to the adolescents who interact with social media extensively. The research design of the study is quantitative research and the study is carried out in Karachi, Pakistan. The sample size of 200 adolescents aged between 13 and 19 years is picked through a convenience sampling method. The questionnaire is a structured questionnaire, which is based on a Likert scale, and it measures cyberbullying exposure and mental health outcomes levels. The use of SPSS to analyze relationships between variables is done through descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The results show that cyber bullying positively affects anxiety and depression but negatively affects self-esteem. All the three hypotheses are accepted, which means that the greater the exposure to cyberbullying, the greater the psychological distress and low self-worth rates of adolescents. The findings underscore the fact that cyberbullying is a social problem, but it is also a severe risk factor in mental health. Teenagers who are victims of cyber bullying suffer emotional imbalance, shyness and isolation and this can influence their development. The study highlights the importance of awareness, early intervention and enabling environments. In order to curb cyberbullying and to enhance adolescent mental health in a more digital society, parents, educators, and policymakers should collaborate to find solutions.
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