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Relationship between social media addiction, victimization, and cyberbullying exposure among college students. Education & Pedagogy Journal. 2023;2(6):31-44. DOI:

Social media is an integral part of modern life. Internet activity among young people has increased significantly in recent years. However, the extensive use of social media has led to addiction, which has caused numerous problems. This study aims to investigate the possible relationships between social media addiction, the occurrence of cyberbullying exposure, and the victimization of social media users in the Russian-speaking community. The study collected data through an online survey of 211 Slonim State Medical College students. The average age of participants: M = 17.5 (SD = 3.7). Addiction to social media was measured using the “ЗСС-15” questionnaire developed by V.P. Sheynov and A.S. Devitsyn. Victimization was measured using the “Adult Victimization Assessment Technique” developed by V.P. Sheynov. Smartphone addiction was measured using the short version of the “САС-16” questionnaire developed by V.P. Sheynov. The study also assessed the exposure of individuals to cyberbullying using the approach of V.P. Sheynov. This study includes a factor analysis: 1) a victimization questionnaire containing propensity factors for aggressive, self-destructive, addicted, careless, and risky behavior, as well as an integrative index of victimization (V.P. Sheinov); 2) a three-factor model of social network addiction: the psychological state of the network user, communication of the network user, and information (V.P. Sheinov). The authors found a correlation between social media addiction among college students and their susceptibility to cyberbullying, victimization, and smartphone addiction. The positive correlation between social media addiction and victimization is supported by the corresponding correlations between most factors that shape these complex constructs. These findings can be used to educate students about the dangers of excessive social media use.

Keywords: social media addiction, cyberbullying, cyberbullying exposure, victimization, smartphone addiction, adolescents