DefinePK

Abstract

Extensive research has examined social media addiction, depression, and cyberbullying perpetration among young adults; however, such investigations remain limited in the context of Pakistani university students. This study aimed to explore the relationship between social media addiction and cyberbullying perpetration, as well as the mediating role of depression. Using a cross-sectional correlational design and purposive sampling, data were collected from 235 university students in Pakistan, aged 18 to 30 years, representing both genders. The study employed the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), the depression subscale of the DASS-21, and the Perpetration Subscale of the Cyberbullying Perpetration and Victimisation Questionnaire. The findings indicated that social media addiction was significantly and positively correlated with both depression and cyberbullying perpetration. Further analysis using Hayes PROCESS Macro 4.2 (Model 4) revealed that depression partially mediated the relationship between social media addiction and cyberbullying perpetration, as the direct effect of social media addiction on cyberbullying perpetration remained significant. These results underscore the importance of addressing emotional distress in interventions. The study highlights practical implications for developing targeted strategies to reduce excessive social media use and mitigate cyberbullying behaviours among university students in Pakistan.