Digital socialization in convergent reality: an integrative model of the impact of online risks on adolescent mental health

Context and relevance. Currently, adolescent socialization is characterized by the blurring of boundaries between online and offline experiences. While substantial evidence highlights the associated risks, the systemic interconnections and cumulative impact of these risks on mental health remain poorly understood.
Objective. The study aims to develop an integrative model illustrating how digital socialization affects adolescent mental health, delineating the mechanisms through which key risks are mediated, as well as the role of individual vulnerability and personal resilience factors.
Hypothesis. The process of adolescent digital socialization can be described by a model in which convergent reality provides the systemic context, socialization risks exert their influence through a set of mediators, and the strength of this influence is moderated by individual and social factors.
Methods. The research utilized theoretical modeling based on the analysis and synthesis of contemporary empirical data through the lenses of the social-cognitive concept of digital socialization and the ecological systems theory.
Results. We developed an integrative model organized around the concept of “convergent reality” as the systemic context. This model features a “risk circuit”—a dynamic system wherein key online socialization risks (e.g., cyberbullying, upward social comparison, exposure to harmful content) influence mental health through a set of interrelated mediators, including digital stress, body image disturbance, and impaired sleep. Within the model, a critical role in sustaining this circuit is assigned to a feedback mechanism, driven by problematic social media use. Individual and social factors of vulnerability and personal resilience are considered to moderate the overall impact on mental health.
Conclusion. The proposed model constitutes a theoretical framework describing the impact of digital socialization on adolescent mental health as a dynamic, self-sustaining process. The findings of this theoretical study can serve as a basis for empirical testing and the development of interventions targeted at disrupting the “risk circuit” and activating personal resilience factors.

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