Problematic Social Media Use and Its Associations with Loneliness, Bullying Perpetration, and Negative Body Image Among Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Secure Attachment and Resilience

Abstract

Background: Problematic social media use (PSMU) has become increasingly prevalent among adolescents and is consistently associated with a wide range of adverse mental health outcomes, underscoring its growing significance as a contemporary psychosocial and developmental concern. However, empirical research examining protective psychological factors associated with relationships between PSMU and psychological difficulties remains limited. The present study examined whether resilience and secure attachment were associated with the relationships between PSMU and loneliness, bullying perpetration, and negative body image among adolescents. Methods: Participants were 712 adolescents aged between 13 and 18 years (Mage = 15.33, SD = 1.13; 61.1% females, 38.9% males). Standardized scales were used to assess problematic social media use, secure attachment, resilience, bullying perpetration, loneliness, and negative body image. Results: The findings indicated that higher levels of problematic social media use (PSMU) were significantly associated with lower levels of secure attachment and resilience, alongside higher levels of loneliness, bullying perpetration, and negative body image. Secure attachment and resilience were also significantly associated with lower loneliness, bullying perpetration, and negative body image. Moreover, significant indirect associations were observed between PSMU and loneliness, bullying perpetration, and negative body image through secure attachment and resilience. Conclusions: These findings suggest that secure attachment and resilience may represent important psychological resources associated with the relationships between PSMU and psychosocial difficulties during adolescence. Given the cross-sectional design of the study, these findings should be interpreted as statistical associations rather than causal processes or mechanisms.