It is not simply the endless hours spent in front of a screen. It is not only the scrolling, the notifications, the constant connectivity or the dependence on the validation that comes through a like. Behind students' daily digital habits, there appears to be something deeper: psychological exhaustion, anxiety, stress and, in some cases, more worrying signs such as symptoms of depression.
This is the main conclusion of a study recently published in the scientific journal Discover Mental Health and conducted by researchers from the Department of Nursing at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT).
The study, entitled Problematic internet and social-media use, stressful life events, depressive symptoms, and suicidal behaviors among university students in Cyprus, was authored by Lenou Chatzimilidoni, Maria Karanikola, Nikos Middleton and Socratis Socratous.
Nearly Half in the Risk Zone
The study involved 1,002 undergraduate students at CUT, from a total of 2,225 invitations, representing a response rate of 45%.
The results show that 51.1% of students were classified as being at a minimal risk level for problematic internet use. However, 38.6% were found to be at a mild risk level and 10.3% at a moderate risk level.
Put simply, nearly one in two students appears to be operating in a "grey zone", where internet use ceases to be merely an everyday habit and begins to affect functionality and mental wellbeing.
Participants also reported spending an average of 4.7 hours per day in front of screens.
However, the study does not focus solely on time spent online. What it examines is the way digital behaviour is connected to a broader web of factors: problematic social media use, stressful life events, depressive symptoms and indicators of suicidal behaviour.
Digital Pressure Brings Depression
The study's most striking finding is the link between problematic internet use and depressive symptoms.
Students classified as being at mild or moderate risk levels recorded significantly higher scores on the depression scale than those classified as being at minimal risk.
Specifically, the average score for depressive symptoms reached 21.3, compared with 14.1 among the low-risk group.
Likewise, levels of suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviours were also higher, with an average index of 4.8 compared with 3.8.
The researchers stress that this does not represent a causal relationship. In other words, it does not mean that social media use in itself causes depression.
However, the data show that when digital use becomes dysfunctional, it often coexists with significant psychological distress.
Social Media
One of the study's most interesting findings is that problematic social media use appears to be linked even more strongly to depressive symptoms than problematic internet use in general.
This means that it is not only the amount of time spent online that matters, but also the way these platforms are used.
Constant exposure to content, social comparison, the need for validation, image-related pressures and permanent connectivity all appear to place a heavier burden on young people's mental health.
The researchers note that this dimension requires further study, particularly in university environments where stress, uncertainty and social isolation often coexist.
In this specific study, problematic social media use emerged as the factor with the strongest independent association with depressive symptoms, stronger even than problematic internet use in general.
Stress as a Catalyst
The study identified another important factor: stressful life events.
The more stressful events students had experienced, whether family difficulties, financial pressure, academic pressure, personal losses or other forms of significant burden, the higher their levels of depression and suicidal thoughts.
The researchers describe stress as a factor that can amplify the negative impact of problematic digital behaviour.
This interpretation is important because it moves the discussion away from the simplistic explanation that "social media is to blame."
The study points to something more complex: when problematic internet and social media use intersects with pressures that already exist in a student's life, psychological distress becomes more intense.
Time for Interventions
The picture that emerges from the study is not one of panic. It is, however, a clear warning.
Students' everyday lives have changed and, along with them, so have the risks they carry.
In their conclusions, the researchers underline that universities can no longer treat digital behaviour as something neutral.
They recommend the development of digital wellbeing programmes, the strengthening of mental health services, education on social media management and prevention initiatives aimed at enhancing students' psychological resilience.
In Cyprus, the researchers note that data on the relationship between digital behaviour and the mental health of university students remain limited.
This gives the study additional significance, not because it answers every question, but because it opens, through Cyprus-based evidence, a discussion that directly concerns universities.
And behind every screen, there may be far more pressure than meets the eye.
