Likes, lies, and oversight: problematic social media use, concealment, parental monitoring, and adolescent cyberbullying

Introduction The rapid expansion of social media has created new opportunities for adolescent connection but has also heightened risks of involvement in online aggression and cyberbullying. This study examined how problematic social media use, social media concealment, and parental media monitoring relate to cyberbullying victimization and perpetration among adolescents. Methods Participants include 686 adolescents ages 12–18 from 12 schools. Logistic generalized linear mixed models were used to account for the nested structure of students within schools. Results Results indicated that both problematic social media use and concealment from parents were significantly associated with greater odds of cyberbullying victimization and perpetration, whereas parental media monitoring was not a significant predictor in either model. Discussion Findings highlight the importance of addressing adolescents’ specific patterns of media use and point to multi-systemic prevention approaches involving families, schools, and technology developers to mitigate cyberbullying risks.