article · Saudi Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences
A survey of 265 secondary school students in Abuja evaluated how daily social media use relates to adolescent mental health. Most respondents reported spending between one and three hours online each day, primarily driven by social connection and entertainment, whilst nearly seven percent exceeded ten hours of daily use. Experiences of cyberbullying affected over seventeen percent of the cohort. Overall, more than fifty-six percent of the students exhibited poor mental health, even though over forty-two percent maintained an optimistic outlook. Digital engagement was also significantly linked to family structure. The outcomes underline a pressing demand for targeted interventions, including structured digital literacy programmes, dedicated mental health resources, and community-led initiatives to promote responsible online behaviour among young people.
Adolescent wellbeing is increasingly shaped by digital connectivity. With over half of the surveyed pupils showing signs of poor mental health alongside notable rates of cyberbullying, educators, healthcare professionals, and policy makers need local evidence to build effective digital literacy curricula, anti-bullying initiatives, and mental health support networks within schools and communities.
This early-stage observational study does not present a proprietary technology, but the findings could inform developers creating youth-focused digital wellbeing applications and educational technology tools. Edtech firms and mental health service providers might utilise the identified risk factors to design targeted anti-cyberbullying modules and school support programmes. Such initiatives remain at a conceptual stage and require formal intervention design and field testing before practical deployment.
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Background: Social media has become an integral part of daily life for adolescents but it is influencing their mental well being significantly. This study investigates social media usage patterns among students of a Government Senior Secondary School in Abuja and their effects on mental health. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 265 students, selected through systematic random sampling. Data were collected on age, gender, family structure, social media use, experiences of cyberbullying, and mental health indicators via a structured self-administered questionnaire. Analysis utilized IBM-SPSS version 27, employing descriptive statistics for quantitative variables and Chi-square tests for categorical variables (p ≤ 0.05). Results: Findings revealed that 56.9% of respondents were aged 16-18 years, with 60% female. Most (58.5%) used social media for 1-3 hours daily, while 6.9% exceeded 10 hours. Motivations included social connection and entertainment, with 17.3% reporting experiences of cyberbullying. Mental health assessments indicated that 56.5% displayed poor mental health, though 42.3% retained optimism. Notably, family structure significantly affected digital engagement (p = 0.001). Conclusion: This study underscores the prevalent use of social media among adolescents and its substantial impact on mental health, highlighting factors like cyberbullying. The alarming rate of poor mental health emphasizes the need for targeted interventions, including digital literacy education, enhanced mental health support, and community programs to promote responsible social media use.
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DOI: 10.36348/sjhss.2025.v10i06.002
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