University Honors

The pervasive use of social media among adolescents has emerged as a pressing public health concern due to its growing association with depression, anxiety, and suicidal behaviors. This university capstone project offers a comprehensive investigation into the complex relationship between social media engagement and adolescent mental well-being. Grounded in established psychological theories, including Social Comparison Theory, Sociometer Theory, and the Uses and Gratifications Framework. This study synthesizes contemporary empirical research and real-world case studies to elucidate the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral mechanisms through which digital interactions shape psychological outcomes in youth. The findings reveal that cyberbullying, problematic social media use (PSMU), and appearance-based social comparison consistently emerge as strong predictors of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among adolescents. These digital stressors interact with adolescent developmental vulnerabilities such as heightened sensitivity to peer approval, identity uncertainty, and emotional volatility exacerbating internalized distress and social withdrawal. Excessive screen time and passive engagement with highly curated online personas were also found to contribute significantly to the erosion of self-esteem and the rise of depressive effect. Conversely, the study identifies key protective factors that buffer against these psychological risks, including digital literacy education, autonomy-supportive parental involvement, mental health-informed school programs, and community-based support networks. These findings support the need for an integrated, multidisciplinary framework that combines education, health, and technology sectors to promote adolescent digital resilience. Through a critical review of existing prevention and intervention strategies ranging from anti-cyberbullying campaigns and mental health curriculum integration to platform regulation and media literacy initiatives, this research presents a set of evidence-based, theory-informed recommendations for reducing the adverse psychological impacts of social media. Notably, the capstone underscores the importance of moving beyond reactive measures toward proactive, developmental interventions that are culturally responsive, inclusive, and sustainable. This study contributes meaningfully to the ongoing scholarly and policy discourse on adolescent well-being in the digital age. It calls for urgent, targeted interventions that align with the lived experiences of adolescents and address the root causes of online psychological distress. By centering youth voices and advancing cross-sector collaboration, the findings advocate for a safer, healthier, and more empathetic digital ecosystem for the next generation.