Adolescent mental health has become an increasing global concern. In Taiwan, recent data indicate that approximately 12% of children and adolescents experience anxiety disorders, and 1% suffer from depression. Given that social media has become an integral part of adolescent life, understanding its impact on mental health is essential. This study examined how social media use—specifically usage time and experiences of online bullying—affects adolescents’ mental health through short-term mood improvement and long-term happiness. Participants were 224 Taiwanese high school students (10th–12th grade). The Inventory of Adolescents’ Mental Health was used to assess their mental health status. On average, participants reported using social media for 5.57 hours per day, and 14.2% had experienced online bullying. While 73.6% of students indicated that social media use sometimes or often improved their mood, about one-fourth reported little or no improvement. Moreover, 64.7% felt happier in the long term after using social media. Latent path modeling revealed that both excessive use and bullying experiences directly and negatively predicted adolescents’ mental health. However, time spent on social media also indirectly enhanced mental health through improved mood and sustained happiness. These findings highlight the complex dual nature of social media use, highlighting the importance of promoting mindful and positive engagement to support adolescents’ psychological well-being.

Authors:
Yu Tzou, National Chengchi University, Taiwan
Yu-chu Yeh, National Chengchi University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Yu-chu Yeh is the Distinguished Professor for the Institute of Teacher Education in the College of Education at the National Chengchi University in Taiwan.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/yu-chu-yeh-8ba911110/

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yu-Chu-Yeh

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