ADDICTION

This study focuses on investigating social media addiction and cyberbullying among undergraduate students of the University of Benin. Three research questions were asked to find out the most commonly used social media platforms, investigate the forms of cyberbullying and to find out the impact of cyberbullying on undergraduate students of University of Benin. Qualitative research design was adopted for this study while making use of an in-depth interview guide as an instrument to gather information from twenty (20) undergraduate students selected from various departments within the Faculty of Social Sciences. The data collected was analysed using thematic analysis. The study findings concludes that platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Snapchat are the most frequently used social media platforms among students. It was also revealed that prolonged engagement on these platforms increases the likelihood of addiction, which in turn heightens exposure to cyberbullying. The study recommended the implementation of digital awareness programs, guidance and counseling services, and strict online conduct policies to promote healthy and responsible use of social media among university students.

The study investigated Social media addiction as predictor of adolescent depression among senior secondary school students in Egor Local Government of Edo State. To guide this study, four research questions were raised and three hypotheses formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted the survey research design. The population of the study consisted of 1565 Senior Secondary School (SSS2) Students from the coeducational category registered for 2024/2025 academic session from 10 coeducational secondary schools. The sample size of the study comprised 200 using the simple random sampling procedure. The research instrument that was used for this study is 4-point modified scale questionnaire titled "Social Media Addiction and Depression Questionnaire (SMADQ)". The questionnaire was divided into two (2) parts. Part A elicited demographic details, while part B contains two (2) sub- scales viz: Adolescents’ level of social media addiction with 16 items, Depression level of addicted adolescents to social media 5 items. The instrument was validated by three test experts in the Department of Educational Evaluation and Counselling Psychology. The reliability of the instrument was established through internal consistency using Cronbach alpha statistics which yielded reliability index of 0.757 for adolescents’ level of social media addiction, 0.705 for depression level of addicted adolescents to social media. The simple linear regression and Analyses of covariance ( ANCOVA ) were used to test formulated hypotheses at 0.05 alpha level. Findings revealed that social media addiction significantly predicted depression among in school adolescents in senior secondary school in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. Factors such as constant usage of social media by the adolescent to wanting to feel belong or associated and having strong desire for acceptance contributed to social media addiction. There was lack of significant difference by sex because both male and female adolescents experience similar patterns of social media engagement in the study context, such as frequent checking, browsing, or interactive participation, which may not differentially affect depressive symptoms. Based on the findings, it was recommended that schools should integrate structured digital literacy and digital wellness education into their curriculum. Such programs should focus not only on technological skills but also on responsible usage, time management, emotional awareness, and coping strategies related to online experiences and parents should be educated about the potential psychological implications of excessive social media use. Parental monitoring should be balanced with open communication, fostering trust while guiding adolescents toward healthier digital habits.

In the contemporary digital era globally, social media has become an integral part of daily human interactions, especially among young adults and the middle-aged individuals. Platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter) are frequently used for communication, entertainment, and information sharing. While these platforms offer numerous advantages, their overuse has been linked to addictive behaviors that may negatively affect interpersonal relationships and mental health (Kuss & Griffiths, 2023). In Nigeria, particularly in Edo State, the upsurge of smartphones and internet access has amplified social media usage, with increasing concerns about its consequences on family cohesion and domestic behavior. Social media addiction is characterized by excessive concern with social networking platforms, driven by an uncontrollable urge to use them, and devoting so much time and effort to them that it interferes with other important areas of life (Andreassen, Torsheim, Brunborg, & Pallesen, 2022). Individuals suffering from this form of behavioral addiction often experience mood modification, salience, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflict, and relapse, similar to other forms of addiction