The research, led by Dr Anke Görzig, Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Greenwich and colleagues Dr Marie Jaron Bedrosova from Masaryk University and Dr Raffaella Milani from the University of East London, analysed survey data from 14,550 young people aged 11–16 across 18 European countries, providing one of the most comprehensive cross-national insights into how digital behaviours intersect with youth mental health.
The study found that adolescents experiencing emotional problems, such as anxiety, loneliness and low self-esteem, are significantly more likely to turn to the internet as a coping strategy.
These coping strategies take two distinct forms:
- Adaptive behaviours: including social online activities such as connecting with peers, joining interest groups and seeking emotional support
- Maladaptive behaviours: particularly excessive internet use, characterised by loss of control, neglect of offline responsibilities and using the internet to escape distress
Both outcomes were linked to emotional struggles and highlight what researchers describe as a “dual pathway” of online coping.
Dr Raffaella Milani, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of East London said:
"Our findings have revealed a complex dual pathway, where vulnerable adolescents rely on the internet as an emotional lifeline. While some find vital connection and social support online that they would lack offline, others fall into a cycle of excessive use to escape their real-life distress.
"We must move past simple arguments about screen time and focus on helping young people recognise when their digital habits cross the line from supportive to harmful, and help them develop adapting coping strategies, so that online communication can complement and facilitate offline social activities, rather than replacing them."
A key mechanism underpinning both behaviours is a preference for online communication shown in the tendency for young people to feel more comfortable expressing themselves online than face-to-face. This preference for online communication can influence how they use the internet, leading to both positive outcomes (such as finding social support) and negative outcomes (such as excessive or problematic internet use).
Dr Anke Görzig, said:
"Whilst young people with emotional or mental health difficulties are more vulnerable to online harms, they are also more likely to benefit from the support, connection and opportunities available online.
“As restrictions on young people's social media use are being discussed, our findings highlight the importance of balancing protection from harm with preserving access to these benefits. Digital spaces can be both a source of risk and a valuable coping resource for vulnerable adolescents."
The study draws on data from the EU Kids Online IV survey, using validated measures of emotional wellbeing, online behaviours and communication preferences. Researchers examined how emotional problems translate into different forms of internet use while controlling for age, gender and country variations.
While preference for online communication is an important factor, it only explains a small part of the relationship between internet use and positive or negative outcomes, suggesting that other factors, including family support, digital skills, and the wider social environment, also contribute.
Overall, the findings challenge simplistic narratives around screen time, showing that internet use can simultaneously support and undermine adolescent wellbeing.
Previous studies have also shown positive effects of internet or social networking use for individuals with mental health difficulties. Internet use may provide the social connectedness and support that those with emotional problems may need and may lack offline. For instance, marginalised children or those with emotional difficulties have benefited from creating social support and connections through social media.
However, the analysis also revealed that emotional problems were further associated with a preference for online communication. When online interaction substitutes offline relationships rather than complementing them, negative outcomes can arise.
It had been found that people with low self-esteem or internalising problems may not benefit socially from internet usage, as they tend to post more negative content and receive undesirable responses or engage in more social comparisons and more intensely analyse feedback, potentially harming their well-being.
The authors suggest that targeted digital mental health interventions that encourage healthy online social engagement while limiting excessive use alongside school-based education programmes to help young people distinguish between adaptive and maladaptive online behaviours may support young people navigate these issues and have a healthier relationship with being online.
Additionally, parental and educator guidance on supporting emotionally vulnerable young people in digital spaces in addition to platform-level changes, such as time-use prompts and tools to identify distress among users could also aid young people’s healthy development.
The study highlights the need for a more nuanced approach to adolescent internet use, recognising it as both a risk factor and a potential resource for emotional wellbeing in an increasingly digital world.
In essence, the findings highlight the need to equip educators, parents, mental health professionals, and platform designers with strategies to recognise and support digitally mediated emotional coping in youth.
Full study available to read here
